Dames Ferry Elementary School

Q: Is Dames Ferry Elementary School a good school?

Dames Ferry Elementary School ranks 234 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Dames Ferry Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Gray, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 584 students. The school is part of the Jones County School District, which is ranked 47th out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. Dames Ferry Elementary School has consistently maintained a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, indicating strong academic performance.

Dames Ferry Elementary School consistently outperforms the Jones County and Georgia state averages in the Milestones Assessment for English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Dames Ferry's 5th-grade students scored 54.3% proficient or better in ELA, compared to 46.4% for Jones County and 48.2% for Georgia. In Mathematics, Dames Ferry's 5th-grade students scored 61.7% proficient or better, compared to 38.6% for Jones County and 41% for Georgia. Additionally, Dames Ferry Elementary School has a relatively lower percentage of free and reduced lunch recipients (46.06%) compared to the nearby Bibb County schools, which range from 66.42% to 100%. The school also has a lower student-teacher ratio of 14.7, compared to ratios ranging from 13.7 to 16.9 in the Bibb County schools.

The strong academic performance and lower free and reduced lunch rates at Dames Ferry Elementary School suggest that the school has effective teaching practices, curriculum, and support systems in place to help students succeed. This could present an opportunity for the school to share best practices and collaborate with the nearby Bibb County schools, which are struggling with lower academic achievement, to improve the overall educational outcomes in the region.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

545 Ga Highway 18 W
Gray, GA 31032

(478) 986-2023

District: Jones County

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

Students who attend Dames Ferry Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Gray Station Middle School
High:	Jones County High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.7

Number of students: 584

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.5%

African American:

14.6%

Hispanic:

2.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 46.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Dames Ferry Elementary School ranks better than 81.3% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.77. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Jones County:

SchoolDigger ranks Jones County 47^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Dames Ferry Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	70.43	348^th	1101	68.4%
2007	72.86	299^th	1125	73.4%
2008	76.97	210^th	1134	81.5%
2009	77.04	209^th	1133	81.6%
2010	70.26	369^th	1183	68.8%
2011	73.27	345^th	1212	71.5%
2012	75.24	274^th	1201	77.2%
2013	71.32	370^th	1225	69.8%
2014	73.95	311^th	1231	74.7%
2015	79.01	222^nd	1240	82.1%
2016	78.87	219^th	1233	82.2%
2017	65.62	366^th	1205	69.6%
2018	66.75	360^th	1209	70.2%
2019	71.52	311^th	1234	74.8%
2021	59.34	451^st	1214	62.9%
2022	69.55	346^th	1244	72.2%
2023	69.62	338^th	1242	72.8%
2024	79.77	234^th	1248	81.3%

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

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Enrollment information for Dames Ferry Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1999	601	123	3	1	1	n/a	n/a	0	729
2000	627	133	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	762
2001	647	136	0	0	2	n/a	n/a	0	785
2002	658	118	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	780
2003	658	118	1	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	780
2004	661	116	1	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	785
2005	631	116	0	11	0	n/a	n/a	5	763
2006	670	114	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	7	803
2007	727	121	2	13	0	n/a	n/a	8	871
2008	715	141	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	13	882
2009	742	132	6	11	0	n/a	n/a	24	915
2010	704	125	5	14	0	1	20	0	869
2011	572	119	5	6	0	1	22	0	725
2012	540	118	4	9	0	0	23	0	694
2013	517	102	6	11	0	0	22	0	658
2014	493	108	6	12	0	0	20	0	639
2015	498	94	5	14	0	0	18	0	629
2016	505	91	7	22	0	0	23	0	648
2017	483	85	5	21	1	1	24	0	620
2018	504	90	7	21	1	2	22	0	647
2019	479	85	5	13	1	1	23	0	607
2020	473	79	5	12	1	1	29	0	600
2021	500	79	4	15	2	1	26	0	627
2022	483	75	2	14	2	1	24	0	601
2023	470	85	2	16	1	0	10	0	584

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 Dames Ferry Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	729	36.3	20.1	25.7
2000	762	40.0	19.1	25.6
2001	785	37.3	21.0	25.7
2002	780	43.0	18.1	25.3
2003	780	43.0	18.1	25.3
2004	785	42.0	18.7	25.2
2005	763	47.0	16.2	24.4
2006	803	49.0	16.4	23.4
2007	871	54.6	16.0	30.5
2008	882	58.7	15.0	32.7
2009	915	57.6	15.9	32.9
2010	869	51.1	17.0	34.5
2011	725	44.3	16.3	34.6
2012	694	44.0	15.7	43.4
2013	658	44.0	14.9	42.6
2014	639	44.9	14.2	41.3
2015	629	45.0	13.9	39.7
2016	648	44.0	14.7	41.8
2017	620	44.1	14.0	45.3
2018	647	42.8	15.1	41.6
2019	607	41.8	14.5	42
2020	600	41.3	14.5	43.5
2021	627	43.0	14.5	44.2
2022	601	41.7	14.4	n/a
2023	584	39.6	14.7	46.1

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 Dames Ferry Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1999	729	36.3	20.1	25.7
2000	762	40.0	19.1	25.6
2001	785	37.3	21.0	25.7
2002	780	43.0	18.1	25.3
2003	780	43.0	18.1	25.3
2004	785	42.0	18.7	25.2
2005	763	47.0	16.2	24.4
2006	803	49.0	16.4	23.4
2007	871	54.6	16.0	30.5
2008	882	58.7	15.0	32.7
2009	915	57.6	15.9	32.9
2010	869	51.1	17.0	34.5
2011	725	44.3	16.3	34.6
2012	694	44.0	15.7	43.4
2013	658	44.0	14.9	42.6
2014	639	44.9	14.2	41.3
2015	629	45.0	13.9	39.7
2016	648	44.0	14.7	41.8
2017	620	44.1	14.0	45.3
2018	647	42.8	15.1	41.6
2019	607	41.8	14.5	42
2020	600	41.3	14.5	43.5
2021	627	43.0	14.5	44.2
2022	601	41.7	14.4	n/a
2023	584	39.6	14.7	46.1

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 Dames Ferry Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$396 (3.9%)	$9,718 (96.1%)	$10,114
2018	$384 (3.8%)	$9,603 (96.2%)	$9,987
2019	$476 (4.4%)	$10,418 (95.6%)	$10,894

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Dames Ferry 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 311^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 338^th of 1242 Elementary schools	2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	50.5	48	2.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Jones County)	46.7	42.5	4.2%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	50.5	54.7	4.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Jones County)	53.1	48	5.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	47.6	43.2	4.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Jones County)	40.9	33.4	7.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	62.2	52.3	9.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Jones County)	51.3	42.6	8.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	49.4	43.5	5.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Jones County)	39.2	48.6	9.4%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	44.7	44.6	0.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Jones County)	36.3	43.6	7.3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Dames Ferry Elementary School)	64.7	52.2	12.5%
5th Grade Science (Jones County)	45.3	50.7	5.4%
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	607	584	3.8%
African American	85	85
American Indian	1	1
Asian	5	2	60%
Hispanic	13	16	23.1%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	479	470	1.9%
Two or More Races	23	10	56.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	42%	46.1%	4.1%

Schools Near Dames Ferry 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
Dames Ferry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	545 Ga Highway 18 W	Gray	31032	Jones County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 986-2023	584	40	14.7	46.1%	470 (80.5%)	85 (14.6%)	16 (2.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	79.8	234^th of 1248 public elementary schools	81.3%		69.6	338^th of 1242 public elementary schools	72.8%	104	50.6	48.8	54.3	64.9	53.6	61.7	73.4	$10,894	$476	$10,418
Gray Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	365 Ga Highway 18 E	Gray	31032	Jones County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 986-6295	533	39	13.7	66.4%	330 (61.9%)	161 (30.2%)	12 (2.3%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (4.9%)	61.7	438^th of 1248 public elementary schools	64.9%		68.4	354^th of 1242 public elementary schools	71.5%	84	39.7	40.3	45.8	57.5	51.6	37.5	52.8	$10,448	$515	$9,933
Turner Woods Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	144 Willie L Fluellen Dr	Gray	31032	Jones County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 986-2222	615	39	15.6	49.3%	485 (78.9%)	84 (13.7%)	20 (3.3%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.9%)	74.7	286^th of 1248 public elementary schools	77.1%		68.2	355^th of 1242 public elementary schools	71.4%	69	55.4	61.6	45.9	73.2	76.7	37.6	38.8	$9,837	$428	$9,409
Mattie Wells Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	101 Mattie Wells Dr	Macon	31217	Bibb County	Jones County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 742-5959	596	43	13.7	66.6%	301 (50.5%)	229 (38.4%)	21 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	43 (7.2%)	31.3	822^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	34.1%		40.9	672^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	45.9%	150	32.9	27.3	39.6	35.4	37.9	17.7	22.9	$10,766	$653	$10,113
Lane Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	990 Newport Rd	Macon	31210	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3150	445	30	14.6	100.0%	28 (6.3%)	352 (79.1%)	32 (7.2%)	8 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.4%)	35.4	766^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.6%		23.5	950^th of 1242 public elementary schools	23.5%	184	24.0	30.0	30.6	50.0	31.4	37.1	27.4	$10,544	$1,014	$9,530
Rosa Taylor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2976 Crestline Dr	Macon	31204	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3563	583	43	13.7	100.0%	93 (16.0%)	415 (71.2%)	40 (6.9%)	5 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	9	1206^th of 1248 public elementary schools	3.4%		12.9	1122^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	9.7%	84	14.1	11.8	16.3	19.2	13.2	3.3	14.1	$11,623	$1,458	$10,166
Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1307 Shurling Dr	Macon	31211	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-2100	631	37	16.9	100.0%	26 (4.1%)	561 (88.9%)	18 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (3.8%)	16.9	1064^th of 1248 public elementary schools	14.7%		16.7	1071^st of 1242 public elementary schools	13.8%	7	17.8	6.3	26.7	19.1	8.4	25.3	36.0	$9,755	$1,177	$8,578
Springdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4965 Northside Dr	Macon	31210	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3750	562	38	14.7	100.0%	179 (31.9%)	265 (47.2%)	37 (6.6%)	53 (9.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	25 (4.4%)	67.7	370^th of 1248 public elementary schools	70.4%		72.3	313^th of 1242 public elementary schools	74.8%	57	35.6	47.1	56.7	40.0	68.2	52.2	56.7	$10,280	$708	$9,572
Burdell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	972 Fort Hill St	Macon	31217	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-2937	442	31	14.2	100.0%	10 (2.3%)	402 (91.0%)	19 (4.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	34.8	780^th of 1248 public elementary schools	37.5%		22.1	971^st of 1242 public elementary schools	21.8%	191	28.2	27.3	33.3	38.6	39.4	27.3	33.3	$11,786	$1,238	$10,548
Williams Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	325 Pursley St	Macon	31201	Bibb County	Bibb County	No	No	No	Yes	(478) 779-3660	349	25	14.2	100.0%	10 (2.9%)	312 (89.4%)	10 (2.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (4.6%)	6.2	1238^th of 1248 public elementary schools	0.8%		5.6	1236^th of 1242 public elementary schools	0.5%	2	5.9	8.9	10.9	9.8	19.6	5.5	3.6	$12,630	$1,807	$10,823

Frequently Asked Questions about Dames Ferry Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Dames Ferry Elementary School?

Students at Dames Ferry Elementary School are 80% White, 15% African American, 3% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Dames Ferry Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 584 students attended Dames Ferry Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Dames Ferry Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Dames Ferry Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Gray Station Middle School
High : Jones County High School

What district is Dames Ferry Elementary School in?

Jones County

Is Dames Ferry Elementary School a good school?

Dames Ferry Elementary School ranks 234^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

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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.