Friendship Elementary School

Q: Is Friendship Elementary School a good school?

Friendship Elementary School ranks 743 rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Friendship Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Buford, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 684 students. The school is part of the Hall County School District, which is ranked 124 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Friendship Elementary School's test scores are generally lower than the state and county averages across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 25.8% to 33.9%, compared to the state average of 37% to 48.2%. In Mathematics, the proficiency rates ranged from 29.4% to 47%, compared to the state average of 41% to 48.1%. The school also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 50.31% to 55.99% over the past few years, which is higher than the nearby Flowery Branch Elementary (50.22%) and Martin Elementary (53.68%) schools.

Despite its lower academic performance, Friendship Elementary School has maintained a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 14.7 to 14.9 over the past few years, which is lower than the ratios at Flowery Branch Elementary (16.4) and Martin Elementary (14.1). The school's statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, ranging from 428 out of 1,231 Georgia elementary schools in 2013-2014 to 788 out of 1,242 in 2022-2023, with its current 2-star rating from SchoolDigger placing it in the bottom half of elementary schools in the state.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

4450 Friendship Rd
Buford, GA 30519

(770) 932-1223

District: Hall County

SchoolDigger Rank:
743^rd of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Students who attend Friendship Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	C. W. Davis Middle School
High:	Flowery Branch High

Student/teacher ratio: 14.8

Number of students: 684

Racial breakdown:

White:

47.5%

Hispanic:

35.5%

African American:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 56%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Friendship Elementary School ranks worse than 59.5% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 36.8. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Hall County:

SchoolDigger ranks Hall County 124^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Friendship Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	75.82	247^th	1101	77.6%
2007	69.80	353^rd	1125	68.6%
2008	77.62	203^rd	1134	82.1%
2009	73.20	279^th	1133	75.4%
2010	66.75	433^rd	1183	63.4%
2011	77.38	255^th	1212	79.0%
2012	71.73	353^rd	1201	70.6%
2013	66.07	461^st	1225	62.4%
2014	68.40	428^th	1231	65.2%
2015	57.55	475^th	1240	61.7%
2016	49.81	570^th	1233	53.8%
2017	50.05	552^nd	1205	54.2%
2018	46.58	608^th	1209	49.7%
2019	49.37	590^th	1234	52.2%
2021	44.18	630^th	1214	48.1%
2022	45.67	614^th	1244	50.6%
2023	33.39	788^th	1242	36.6%
2024	36.80	743^rd	1248	40.5%

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
Thursday, September 28, 2017

Fantastic Elementary School!
We greatly appreciate having our children in this school and Dr. Brack (and all of their teachers) are amazing. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Friendship Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1995	436	7	0	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	458
1996	436	7	0	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	458
1997	481	9	0	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	508
1998	493	17	0	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	526
1999	579	16	0	21	2	n/a	n/a	0	618
2000	642	21	3	25	4	n/a	n/a	0	695
2001	553	14	6	37	3	n/a	n/a	0	613
2002	544	27	8	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	637
2003	544	27	8	55	3	n/a	n/a	0	637
2004	575	29	8	60	1	n/a	n/a	0	673
2005	565	22	7	64	1	n/a	n/a	30	689
2006	618	41	10	72	0	n/a	n/a	28	769
2007	653	44	20	76	1	n/a	n/a	37	831
2008	706	31	19	90	12	n/a	n/a	27	885
2009	525	15	13	75	4	n/a	n/a	34	666
2010	529	19	16	106	1	0	20	0	691
2011	510	20	13	125	2	0	24	0	694
2012	488	24	14	122	0	0	13	0	661
2013	467	21	16	133	1	0	18	0	656
2014	443	23	13	131	0	0	21	0	631
2015	471	25	8	117	0	0	12	0	633
2016	493	40	5	112	0	0	14	0	664
2017	466	45	6	132	0	0	22	0	671
2018	438	42	3	145	1	2	27	0	658
2019	419	45	8	141	1	0	26	0	640
2020	369	41	10	185	0	0	39	0	644
2021	338	53	13	195	0	0	37	0	636
2022	341	49	17	207	0	0	41	0	655
2023	325	51	27	243	0	0	38	0	684

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 Friendship Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	458	22.0	20.8	24.2
1996	458	22.0	20.8	24.2
1997	508	26.0	19.5	26.6
1998	526	31.3	16.8	24.9
1999	618	33.1	18.7	23.8
2000	695	35.6	19.5	26
2001	613	37.1	16.5	22.3
2002	637	39.6	16.1	23.7
2003	637	39.6	16.1	23.7
2004	673	42.9	15.7	28.8
2005	689	44.5	15.5	32
2006	769	44.5	17.3	28.5
2007	831	49.0	17.0	26.8
2008	885	55.5	15.9	26.3
2009	666	46.5	14.3	33.4
2010	691	40.5	17.0	37.3
2011	694	38.5	18.0	40.8
2012	661	37.5	17.6	43.4
2013	656	36.5	17.9	47
2014	631	35.5	17.7	48.5
2015	633	36.0	17.5	46.4
2016	664	37.0	17.9	51.4
2017	671	38.5	17.4	53.4
2018	658	38.0	17.3	52.6
2019	640	39.0	16.4	52.3
2020	644	38.5	16.7	54.7
2021	636	42.5	14.9	50.3
2022	655	44.4	14.7	n/a
2023	684	46.2	14.8	56

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 Friendship Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1995	458	22.0	20.8	24.2
1996	458	22.0	20.8	24.2
1997	508	26.0	19.5	26.6
1998	526	31.3	16.8	24.9
1999	618	33.1	18.7	23.8
2000	695	35.6	19.5	26
2001	613	37.1	16.5	22.3
2002	637	39.6	16.1	23.7
2003	637	39.6	16.1	23.7
2004	673	42.9	15.7	28.8
2005	689	44.5	15.5	32
2006	769	44.5	17.3	28.5
2007	831	49.0	17.0	26.8
2008	885	55.5	15.9	26.3
2009	666	46.5	14.3	33.4
2010	691	40.5	17.0	37.3
2011	694	38.5	18.0	40.8
2012	661	37.5	17.6	43.4
2013	656	36.5	17.9	47
2014	631	35.5	17.7	48.5
2015	633	36.0	17.5	46.4
2016	664	37.0	17.9	51.4
2017	671	38.5	17.4	53.4
2018	658	38.0	17.3	52.6
2019	640	39.0	16.4	52.3
2020	644	38.5	16.7	54.7
2021	636	42.5	14.9	50.3
2022	655	44.4	14.7	n/a
2023	684	46.2	14.8	56

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 Friendship Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$424 (5.2%)	$7,743 (94.8%)	$8,167
2018	$384 (4.4%)	$8,312 (95.6%)	$8,696
2019	$636 (6.6%)	$9,008 (93.4%)	$9,644

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Friendship 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 590^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 788^th of 1242 Elementary schools	15.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Friendship Elementary School)	47.1	27.1	20%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Hall County)	37.6	26.2	11.4%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Friendship Elementary School)	50	33.9	16.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Hall County)	46.9	38.2	8.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Friendship Elementary School)	42.9	28.2	14.7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Hall County)	39.6	24.7	14.9%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Friendship Elementary School)	39.8	37.3	2.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Hall County)	44.8	34.3	10.5%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Friendship Elementary School)	45.1	26	19.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Hall County)	41.3	31.3	10%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Friendship Elementary School)	32.6	31	1.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Hall County)	34.9	32	2.9%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Friendship Elementary School)	37.6	21.2	16.4%
5th Grade Science (Hall County)	36.9	26	10.9%
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	640	684	6.9%
African American	45	51	13.3%
American Indian	1	0	100%
Asian	8	27	237.5%
Hispanic	141	243	72.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	419	325	22.4%
Two or More Races	26	38	46.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	52.3%	56%	3.7%

Schools Near Friendship 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
Friendship Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4450 Friendship Rd	Buford	30519	Gwinnett County	Hall County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 932-1223	684	46	14.8	56.0%	325 (47.5%)	51 (7.5%)	243 (35.5%)	27 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.6%)	36.8	743^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	40.5%		33.4	788^th of 1242 public elementary schools	36.6%	45	30.4	25.8	33.9	47.0	37.9	29.4	30.3	$9,644	$636	$9,008
Ivy Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3443 Ridge Rd	Buford	30519	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(678) 714-3655	1,572	97	16.2	30.2%	510 (32.4%)	316 (20.1%)	338 (21.5%)	318 (20.2%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	85 (5.4%)	93.4	88^th of 1248 public elementary schools	92.9%		96	55^th of 1242 public elementary schools	95.6%	33	57.1	65.3	77.6	66.3	78.5	78.7	78.7	$8,900	$255	$8,645
Buford Senior Academy	Public	4-5	2700 Robert Bell Pkwy	Buford	30518	Gwinnett County	Buford City	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 546-0414	876	49	17.7	32.2%	430 (49.1%)	96 (11.0%)	225 (25.7%)	83 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (4.8%)	91.2	119^th of 1248 public elementary schools	90.5%		94.3	82^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	93.4%	37		55.6	71.0		74.0	71.0	68.6
Buford Academy	Public	1-3	2705 Robert Bell Pkwy	Buford	30518	Gwinnett County	Buford City	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 482-6960	1,297	89	14.5	31.8%	626 (48.3%)	122 (9.4%)	336 (25.9%)	124 (9.6%)	3 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	86 (6.6%)								(n/a)	71.2			74.8				$9,362	$398	$8,963
Spout Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6640 Spout Springs Rd	Flowery Branch	30542	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	No	(770) 967-4860	850	47	18.0	15.2%	628 (73.9%)	36 (4.2%)	133 (15.6%)	15 (1.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (4.4%)	73.8	296^th of 1248 public elementary schools	76.3%		79.2	236^th of 1242 public elementary schools	81.0%	60	49.4	58.3	57.0	56.5	69.9	51.1	34.1	$8,589	$372	$8,217
Buford Elementary School	Public	PK-K	2500 Sawnee Ave	Buford	30518	Gwinnett County	Buford City	No	No	No	No	(770) 945-5248	402	32	12.6	31.6%	198 (49.3%)	34 (8.5%)	111 (27.6%)	36 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (5.5%)								(n/a)								$13,828	$353	$13,475
Patrick Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2707 Kilgore Rd	Buford	30519	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(678) 765-5260	891	59	15.1	44.3%	174 (19.5%)	268 (30.1%)	214 (24.0%)	188 (21.1%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	44 (4.9%)	70.1	344^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.4%		80.5	222^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	82.1%	122	43.5	47.2	59.4	50.3	50.0	47.9	58.2	$9,203	$206	$8,997
Harmony Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3946 S Bogan Rd	Buford	30519	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(770) 945-7272	609	47	12.9	29.9%	232 (38.1%)	138 (22.7%)	91 (14.9%)	110 (18.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	37 (6.1%)	87.9	155^th of 1248 public elementary schools	87.6%		78.6	243^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	80.4%	88	53.8	52.3	66.7	70.5	68.2	68.4	67.5	$9,308	$101	$9,207
Flowery Branch Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5544 Radford Rd	Flowery Branch	30542	Hall County	Hall County	No	No	No	No	(770) 967-6621	691	42	16.4	50.2%	322 (46.6%)	85 (12.3%)	230 (33.3%)	25 (3.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (3.9%)	37.4	734^th of 1248 public elementary schools	41.2%		30.7	823^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	33.7%	89	36.1	25.9	40.4	36.1	40.9	30.9	24.2	$8,496	$243	$8,253
Puckett's Mill Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2442 S Pucketts Mill Rd	Dacula	30019	Gwinnett County	Gwinnett County	No	No	No	No	(678) 765-5110	780	57	13.6	21.7%	390 (50.0%)	138 (17.7%)	100 (12.8%)	96 (12.3%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	52 (6.7%)	96.3	48^th of 1248 public elementary schools	96.2%		97.7	29^th of 1242 public elementary schools	97.7%	19	71.5	63.0	86.0	78.5	77.4	79.8	84.5	$9,852	$358	$9,495

Frequently Asked Questions about Friendship Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Friendship Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : C. W. Davis Middle School
High : Flowery Branch High

How many students attend Friendship Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 684 students attended Friendship Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Friendship Elementary School?

Students at Friendship Elementary School are 48% White, 36% Hispanic, 7% African American, 6% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Is Friendship Elementary School a good school?

Friendship Elementary School ranks 743^rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Friendship Elementary School in?

Hall County

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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.