Cornelia Elementary School

Summary:

Cornelia Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 479 students in grades PK-5 in Cornelia, Georgia, which is part of the Habersham County School District. However, the school faces significant challenges, with consistently low test scores, a declining statewide ranking, and high poverty concentration compared to nearby schools.

Cornelia Elementary consistently underperforms compared to the Habersham County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments. For example, in 2023-2024, only 19.4% of 3rd graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 39.8% in Habersham County and 38.4% statewide. The school's statewide ranking has also declined over the past 7 years, going from a ranking in the 500s and 3 stars down to a ranking in the 700s-900s and 1-2 stars. Additionally, Cornelia Elementary has very high free and reduced lunch rates, ranging from 81.29% to 84.34% over the past 3 years, significantly higher than nearby schools in the district.

In comparison, the nearby Woodville Elementary School, Clarkesville Elementary School, Hazel Grove Elementary School, and Fairview Elementary School generally outperform Cornelia Elementary on test scores and have higher statewide rankings, highlighting the relative underperformance of Cornelia Elementary compared to its peers in the Habersham County district.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

375 Old Cleveland Rd
Cornelia, GA 30531

(706) 778-6526

District: Habersham County

SchoolDigger Rank:
950^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,077

Students who attend Cornelia Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Hilliard A. Wilbanks Middle School
High:	Habersham Central High School
	Habersham Success Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 11.3

Number of students: 465

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

62.8%

White:

26.0%

Two or more races:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.2%

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Compare Cornelia Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cornelia Elementary School ranks worse than 76.1% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks last among 8 ranked elementary schools in the Habersham County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 23.68. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (62.8%), White (26%), two or more races (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Habersham County School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cornelia Elementary School is 11.3, which is the 4^th best among 8 elementary schools in the Habersham County School District. (See more...)

Compare Cornelia Elementary School employs 41.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cornelia Elementary School is $11,077. 5 elementary schools in the Habersham County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Cornelia Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Habersham County:

SchoolDigger ranks Habersham County 43^rd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Cornelia Elementary School.

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Rank History for Cornelia Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	20.95	950^th	1101	13.7%
2007	31.61	868^th	1125	22.8%
2008	28.83	904^th	1134	20.3%
2009	35.94	824^th	1133	27.3%
2010	41.98	799^th	1183	32.5%
2011	42.86	812^th	1212	33.0%
2012	48.12	751^st	1201	37.5%
2013	60.98	582^nd	1225	52.5%
2014	62.63	538^th	1231	56.3%
2015	35.96	793^rd	1240	36.0%
2016	35.54	799^th	1233	35.2%
2017	29.38	853^rd	1205	29.2%
2018	31.05	838^th	1209	30.7%
2019	23.20	958^th	1234	22.4%
2021	37.31	718^th	1214	40.9%
2022	36.80	747^th	1244	40.0%
2023	35.48	761^st	1242	38.7%
2024	23.68	950^th	1248	23.9%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, October 21, 2015

My daughter attends Cornelia Elementary. We love the diversity and the dedication of the teachers to their students. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Cornelia Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	597	597
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	528	528
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	428	428
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	428	428
1994	324	35	59	35	1	n/a	n/a	0	454
1995	297	39	50	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
1996	297	39	50	31	0	n/a	n/a	0	417
1997	284	42	41	40	0	n/a	n/a	0	407
1998	290	42	33	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	434
1999	272	41	32	66	2	n/a	n/a	0	413
2000	245	44	32	92	0	n/a	n/a	0	413
2001	292	39	33	138	0	n/a	n/a	0	502
2002	283	41	35	187	0	n/a	n/a	0	546
2003	283	41	35	187	0	n/a	n/a	0	546
2004	266	41	36	190	0	n/a	n/a	0	533
2005	246	34	36	206	0	n/a	n/a	34	556
2006	273	36	37	188	0	n/a	n/a	36	570
2007	266	34	38	223	0	n/a	n/a	44	605
2008	270	34	39	246	0	n/a	n/a	53	642
2009	257	36	33	249	0	n/a	n/a	63	638
2010	245	32	32	285	0	2	34	0	630
2011	238	28	36	292	0	1	33	0	628
2012	236	25	36	307	0	0	34	0	638
2013	218	29	37	299	0	1	32	0	616
2014	210	31	32	322	0	0	32	0	627
2015	218	30	34	337	0	0	24	0	643
2016	200	27	30	357	0	0	19	0	633
2017	196	27	26	339	0	0	16	0	604
2018	184	34	33	354	0	0	22	0	627
2019	141	31	17	326	2	0	21	0	538
2020	136	29	12	320	0	0	23	0	520
2021	111	31	13	302	0	0	24	0	481
2022	108	24	12	286	0	0	21	0	451
2023	115	21	11	307	0	0	25	0	479
2024	121	19	9	292	0	0	24	0	465

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cornelia Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	597	32.0	18.6	28
1991	528	33.0	16.0	25.4
1992	428	33.9	12.6	33.9
1993	428	26.0	16.5	37.4
1994	454	31.7	14.3	31.3
1995	417	28.0	14.9	38.1
1996	417	28.0	14.9	38.1
1997	407	28.7	14.2	51.4
1998	434	29.5	14.7	55.5
1999	413	28.8	14.3	59.6
2000	413	29.5	14.0	51.8
2001	502	33.0	15.2	57
2002	546	33.4	16.3	65.8
2003	546	33.4	16.3	65.8
2004	533	34.2	15.6	69.2
2005	556	44.1	12.6	73.2
2006	570	44.0	13.0	70.8
2007	605	46.5	13.0	72
2008	642	49.0	13.1	77.4
2009	638	47.5	13.4	85.4
2010	630	49.5	12.7	79.8
2011	628	48.1	13.0	78.2
2012	638	45.5	14.0	80.3
2013	616	44.5	13.8	85.4
2014	627	43.5	14.4	85.3
2015	643	48.0	13.3	84.6
2016	633	47.0	13.4	87.2
2017	604	47.0	12.8	85.3
2018	627	47.4	13.2	82.9
2019	538	43.5	12.3	87
2020	520	42.5	12.2	82.9
2021	481	39.6	12.1	81.3
2022	451	41.0	11.0	n/a
2023	479	43.7	10.9	84.3
2024	465	41.1	11.3	94.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Cornelia Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	597	32.0	18.6	28
1991	528	33.0	16.0	25.4
1992	428	33.9	12.6	33.9
1993	428	26.0	16.5	37.4
1994	454	31.7	14.3	31.3
1995	417	28.0	14.9	38.1
1996	417	28.0	14.9	38.1
1997	407	28.7	14.2	51.4
1998	434	29.5	14.7	55.5
1999	413	28.8	14.3	59.6
2000	413	29.5	14.0	51.8
2001	502	33.0	15.2	57
2002	546	33.4	16.3	65.8
2003	546	33.4	16.3	65.8
2004	533	34.2	15.6	69.2
2005	556	44.1	12.6	73.2
2006	570	44.0	13.0	70.8
2007	605	46.5	13.0	72
2008	642	49.0	13.1	77.4
2009	638	47.5	13.4	85.4
2010	630	49.5	12.7	79.8
2011	628	48.1	13.0	78.2
2012	638	45.5	14.0	80.3
2013	616	44.5	13.8	85.4
2014	627	43.5	14.4	85.3
2015	643	48.0	13.3	84.6
2016	633	47.0	13.4	87.2
2017	604	47.0	12.8	85.3
2018	627	47.4	13.2	82.9
2019	538	43.5	12.3	87
2020	520	42.5	12.2	82.9
2021	481	39.6	12.1	81.3
2022	451	41.0	11.0	n/a
2023	479	43.7	10.9	84.3
2024	465	41.1	11.3	94.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cornelia Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$908 (8.9%)	$9,282 (91.1%)	$10,191
2018	$847 (8.1%)	$9,574 (91.9%)	$10,421
2019	$1,057 (9.5%)	$10,020 (90.5%)	$11,077

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cornelia Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 958^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 761^st of 1242 Elementary schools	16.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cornelia Elementary School)	25.3	31.4	6.1%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Habersham County)	45	42.6	2.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cornelia Elementary School)	42.5	33.7	8.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Habersham County)	58.1	47.6	10.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cornelia Elementary School)	26.3	14.9	11.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Habersham County)	47.8	37.7	10.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cornelia Elementary School)	35.5	40.5	5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Habersham County)	57.8	50.6	7.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cornelia Elementary School)	30.7	37.8	7.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Habersham County)	41.9	43.5	1.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cornelia Elementary School)	20.5	31.7	11.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Habersham County)	43.2	40	3.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Cornelia Elementary School)	14.8	20.7	5.9%
5th Grade Science (Habersham County)	48.2	38.7	9.5%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	538	479	11%
African American	31	21	32.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	17	11	35.3%
Hispanic	326	307	5.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	141	115	18.4%
Two or More Races	21	25	19%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	87%	84.3%	2.6%

Schools Near Cornelia Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cornelia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	375 Old Cleveland Rd	Cornelia	30531	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 778-6526	465	41	11.3	94.2%	121 (26.0%)	19 (4.1%)	292 (62.8%)	9 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.2%)	23.7	950^th of 1248 public elementary schools	23.9%		35.5	761^st of 1242 public elementary schools	38.7%	189	19.4	27.4	23.3	27.4	36.9	26.0	15.1	$11,077	$1,057	$10,020
Level Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2525 Level Grove Rd	Cornelia	30531	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 778-3087	594	48	12.4	76.6%	306 (51.5%)	23 (3.9%)	231 (38.9%)	7 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.4%)	58.1	469^th of 1248 public elementary schools	62.4%		60.5	440^th of 1242 public elementary schools	64.6%	29	45.7	42.3	43.5	48.1	50.0	40.0	40.0	$11,691	$1,236	$10,455
Baldwin Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	894 Willingham Ave	Baldwin	30511	Banks County	Habersham County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 778-6435	418	39	10.6	88.3%	126 (30.1%)	12 (2.9%)	259 (62.0%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.6%)	42.6	656^th of 1248 public elementary schools	47.4%		41.8	661^st of 1242 public elementary schools	46.8%	5	19.6	26.7	48.4	30.4	47.5	34.4	45.3	$11,940	$1,334	$10,605
Demorest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3116 Demorest Mount Airy Hwy	Demorest	30535	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 778-4126	527	41	13.0	75.3%	328 (62.2%)	11 (2.1%)	142 (26.9%)	6 (1.1%)	3 (0.6%)	2 (0.4%)	35 (6.6%)	74.4	290^th of 1248 public elementary schools	76.8%		67.5	366^th of 1242 public elementary schools	70.5%	76	56.3	34.4	62.3	66.3	53.3	52.9	58.0	$11,052	$700	$10,352
Fairview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2925 Cannon Bridge Rd	Demorest	30535	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	No	(706) 778-2030	461	43	10.6	68.8%	372 (80.7%)	6 (1.3%)	59 (12.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.2%)	56.2	490^th of 1248 public elementary schools	60.7%		63.4	415^th of 1242 public elementary schools	66.6%	75	32.8	41.3	47.3	35.9	47.6	67.3	41.8	$11,440	$241	$11,199
Hazel Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6390 Dicks Hill Pkwy	Mount Airy	30563	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	No	(706) 754-2942	282	23	12.4	72.7%	197 (69.9%)	4 (1.4%)	67 (23.8%)	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	1 (0.4%)	9 (3.2%)	78.8	246^th of 1248 public elementary schools	80.3%		63.2	417^th of 1242 public elementary schools	66.4%	171	59.5	41.9	65.0	73.8	44.2	65.0	57.5	$12,526	$273	$12,253
Clarkesville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6539 Highway 115	Clarkesville	30523	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	No	(706) 754-2442	453	34	13.2	64.0%	369 (81.5%)	16 (3.5%)	45 (9.9%)	6 (1.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	61.2	443^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	64.5%		72.8	306^th of 1242 public elementary schools	75.4%	137	47.1	43.5	45.5	52.9	45.9	49.1	36.4	$10,440	$523	$9,917
Woodville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	911 Historic Old Highway 441	Clarkesville	30523	Habersham County	Habersham County	No	No	No	No	(706) 754-4225	197	18	10.9	79.7%	158 (80.2%)	1 (0.5%)	29 (14.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.6%)	71.6	323^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	74.1%		75.5	277^th of 1242 public elementary schools	77.7%	46	32.5	58.1	57.9	35.0	83.9	68.4	57.9	$13,530	$531	$12,999
Lula Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6130 Chattahoochee St	Lula	30554	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 869-3261	390	26	14.8	71.5%	242 (62.1%)	15 (3.8%)	118 (30.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	39.7	700^th of 1248 public elementary schools	43.9%		36.9	741^st of 1242 public elementary schools	40.3%	41	19.7	21.5	40.0	40.9	32.3	50.0	42.4	$9,434	$679	$8,754
Liberty Elementary School	Public	1-2	222 Old Liberty Hill Rd	Toccoa	30577	Stephens County	Stephens County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 886-3934	557	42	13.4	82.0%	378 (67.9%)	65 (11.7%)	40 (7.2%)	8 (1.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (11.7%)								(n/a)								$8,648	$872	$7,776

Frequently Asked Questions about Cornelia Elementary School

What district is Cornelia Elementary School in?

Habersham County

What is the racial makeup of Cornelia Elementary School?

Students at Cornelia Elementary School are 63% Hispanic, 26% White, 5% Two or more races, 4% African American, 2% Asian.

Is Cornelia Elementary School a good school?

Cornelia Elementary School ranks in the bottom 23.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Cornelia Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Cornelia Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Hilliard A. Wilbanks Middle School
High : Habersham Central High School
High : Habersham Success Academy

How many students attend Cornelia Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 465 students attended Cornelia Elementary School.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.