Spencer High School

Summary:

Spencer High School is a public high school in Columbus, Georgia, serving 943 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Muscogee County School District, which is ranked 155 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Spencer High School consistently underperforms compared to the Muscogee County and Georgia state averages on standardized tests, with only 12.3% of students proficient or better in American Literature and Composition, compared to 35.2% in the district and 42% statewide. The school's four-year graduation rate has fluctuated, ranging from 76.6% to 89.0% in recent years, still lagging behind the state average. Additionally, Spencer High School has an extremely high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 96.55% to 96.62%, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population. The school's per-student spending has been relatively low, ranging from $8,488 to $9,711, which is below the spending levels of some nearby schools.

When comparing Spencer High School to other high schools in the Muscogee County district, it is clear that the school is one of the lower-performing institutions. For example, Northside High School and Rainey McCullers School of the Arts both significantly outperform Spencer on academic measures and have higher graduation rates. The presence of specialized school options, such as Rainey McCullers and Columbus High School, in the Muscogee County district may also contribute to the challenges faced by Spencer High School, as they may draw some of the higher-performing students away from the school.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1000 Fort Benning Rd
Columbus, GA 31903

(706) 683-8701

District: Muscogee County

SchoolDigger Rank:
417^th of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,488

Feeder schools for Spencer High School:

Elementary:	Dorothy Height Elementary School
	Key Elementary School
	Martin Luther King- Junior Elementary School
	South Columbus Elementary School
	More...
	St. Marys Video and Communication Technology
Middle:	Eddy Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 17.1

Number of students: 943

Racial breakdown:

African American:

69.9%

Hispanic:

19.7%

Two or more races:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.6%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Spencer High School ranks worse than 91% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks last among 9 ranked high schools in the Muscogee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.77. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Spencer High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Spencer High School has the largest high school student body size in the Muscogee County School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Spencer High School is $8,488. 6 high schools in the Muscogee County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Spencer High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Spencer High School 417^th of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Spencer High School in the ranking list.)

Muscogee County:

SchoolDigger ranks Muscogee County 155^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Spencer High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	13.75	315^th	335	6.0%
2007	10.65	338^th	358	5.6%
2008	9.01	353^rd	370	4.6%
2009	8.61	358^th	372	3.8%
2010	15.14	351^st	384	8.6%
2011	18.12	363^rd	402	9.7%
2012	14.49	361^st	396	8.8%
2013	20.32	380^th	425	10.6%
2014	27.10	350^th	425	17.6%
2015	19.79	359^th	435	17.5%
2016	14.03	380^th	426	10.8%
2017	12.50	377^th	420	10.2%
2018	11.22	389^th	428	9.1%
2019	11.66	388^th	438	11.4%
2021	11.44	385^th	410	6.1%
2022	14.22	374^th	429	12.8%
2023	14.22	382^nd	442	13.6%
2024	10.77	417^th	458	9.0%

See the entire list of Georgia High 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 Spencer High School

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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	1120	1120
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1113	1113
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1238	1238
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1186	1186
1994	354	704	24	128	5	n/a	n/a	0	1215
1995	275	663	25	126	3	n/a	n/a	0	1092
1996	275	663	25	126	3	n/a	n/a	0	1092
1997	267	705	21	127	6	n/a	n/a	0	1126
1998	254	706	25	110	5	n/a	n/a	0	1100
1999	233	647	27	81	5	n/a	n/a	0	993
2000	222	692	22	79	5	n/a	n/a	0	1020
2001	197	641	15	76	10	n/a	n/a	0	939
2002	194	794	9	70	3	n/a	n/a	0	1070
2003	194	794	9	70	3	n/a	n/a	0	1070
2004	186	796	8	72	14	n/a	n/a	0	1076
2005	154	880	10	63	7	n/a	n/a	12	1126
2006	91	899	6	69	5	n/a	n/a	12	1082
2007	77	845	6	61	3	n/a	n/a	10	1002
2008	47	855	7	62	0	n/a	n/a	12	983
2009	48	787	13	53	1	n/a	n/a	27	929
2010	66	726	17	0	1	0	52	0	862
2011	63	709	11	47	1	4	28	0	863
2012	49	616	4	49	1	5	31	0	755
2013	47	572	2	52	6	3	35	0	717
2014	46	617	2	73	6	2	40	0	786
2015	53	625	2	92	1	5	45	0	823
2016	52	640	3	95	0	4	44	0	838
2017	48	628	5	101	0	3	41	0	826
2018	34	619	7	115	0	4	34	0	813
2019	44	800	3	109	0	1	34	0	991
2020	46	725	3	138	0	3	35	0	950
2021	41	694	3	146	1	5	45	0	935
2022	34	686	7	148	3	7	44	0	929
2023	40	659	5	186	1	9	43	0	943

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 Spencer High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1120	68.0	16.4	16.4
1991	1113	70.0	15.9	17.1
1992	1238	70.0	17.6	13.8
1993	1186	65.0	18.2	24.4
1994	1215	71.5	17.0	48.6
1995	1092	72.0	15.2	35
1996	1092	72.0	15.2	35
1997	1126	66.0	17.1	56.5
1998	1100	70.6	15.6	63.3
1999	993	72.5	13.7	41.3
2000	1020	65.0	15.7	53.2
2001	939	57.0	16.5	57.2
2002	1070	54.2	19.7	44.2
2003	1070	54.2	19.7	44.2
2004	1076	57.0	18.9	51.2
2005	1126	55.8	20.2	65.8
2006	1082	61.0	17.7	78.3
2007	1002	60.2	16.6	76.4
2008	983	64.4	15.3	84.4
2009	929	71.1	13.1	81.9
2010	862	66.6	12.9	79.1
2011	863	68.8	12.5	78.2
2012	755	67.1	11.2	83.6
2013	717	62.9	11.3	88
2014	786	60.9	12.9	99.6
2015	823	50.0	16.4	100
2016	838	49.0	17.1	99.6
2017	826	50.3	16.4	100
2018	813	52.0	15.6	94.5
2019	991	53.7	18.4	94.5
2020	950	55.8	17.0	91.9
2021	935	55.2	16.9	96.6
2022	929	57.2	16.2	n/a
2023	943	55.1	17.1	96.6

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 Spencer High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1120	68.0	16.4	16.4
1991	1113	70.0	15.9	17.1
1992	1238	70.0	17.6	13.8
1993	1186	65.0	18.2	24.4
1994	1215	71.5	17.0	48.6
1995	1092	72.0	15.2	35
1996	1092	72.0	15.2	35
1997	1126	66.0	17.1	56.5
1998	1100	70.6	15.6	63.3
1999	993	72.5	13.7	41.3
2000	1020	65.0	15.7	53.2
2001	939	57.0	16.5	57.2
2002	1070	54.2	19.7	44.2
2003	1070	54.2	19.7	44.2
2004	1076	57.0	18.9	51.2
2005	1126	55.8	20.2	65.8
2006	1082	61.0	17.7	78.3
2007	1002	60.2	16.6	76.4
2008	983	64.4	15.3	84.4
2009	929	71.1	13.1	81.9
2010	862	66.6	12.9	79.1
2011	863	68.8	12.5	78.2
2012	755	67.1	11.2	83.6
2013	717	62.9	11.3	88
2014	786	60.9	12.9	99.6
2015	823	50.0	16.4	100
2016	838	49.0	17.1	99.6
2017	826	50.3	16.4	100
2018	813	52.0	15.6	94.5
2019	991	53.7	18.4	94.5
2020	950	55.8	17.0	91.9
2021	935	55.2	16.9	96.6
2022	929	57.2	16.2	n/a
2023	943	55.1	17.1	96.6

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 Spencer High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$2,047 (21.7%)	$7,402 (78.3%)	$9,449
2018	$1,773 (18.3%)	$7,939 (81.8%)	$9,711
2019	$727 (8.6%)	$7,761 (91.4%)	$8,488

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Spencer High 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 388^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 382^nd of 442 High schools	2.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Spencer High School)	17.1	14.1	3%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Muscogee County)	41	34.2	6.8%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Spencer High School)	7.7	13.7	6%
End of Course Algebra I (Muscogee County)	29	21.4	7.6%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%
End of Course Biology (Spencer High School)	19.6	14.7	4.9%
End of Course Biology (Muscogee County)	43.3	38.2	5.1%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (Spencer High School)	14.6	15.8	1.2%
End of Course United States History (Muscogee County)	40.3	22.5	17.8%
End of Course United States History (Georgia)	48.3	37.1	11.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	991	943	4.8%
African American	800	659	17.6%
American Indian	0	1
Asian	3	5	66.7%
Hispanic	109	186	70.6%
Pacific Islander	1	9	800%
White	44	40	9.1%
Two or More Races	34	43	26.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.5%	96.6%	2.2%

Schools Near Spencer High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2024)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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 American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Spencer High School	Public	9-12	1000 Fort Benning Rd	Columbus	31903	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 683-8701	943	55	17.1	96.6%	40 (4.2%)	659 (69.9%)	186 (19.7%)	5 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.0%)	43 (4.6%)	10.8	417^th of 458 public high schools	9.0%		14.2	382^nd of 442 public high schools	13.6%	35	12.3	11.2	15.8	12.6									$8,488	$727	$7,761
Carver High School	Public	9-12	3100 8th St	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2499	916	56	16.3	96.6%	16 (1.7%)	821 (89.6%)	42 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	34 (3.7%)	12.3	409^th of 458 public high schools	10.7%		18	360^th of 442 public high schools	18.6%	49	14.7	21.5	11.7	11.9									$9,612	$814	$8,798
Rainey McCullers School of the Arts	Public	6-12	1700 Midtown Dr	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 748-3304	384	32	12.0	37.5%	137 (35.7%)	145 (37.8%)	60 (15.6%)	7 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (8.6%)	78.8	52^nd of 458 public high schools	88.6%		69.5	81^st of 442 public high schools	81.7%	29		64.2	71.6	78.3	96.0	73.5	83.3	60.0	44.9	55.6	37.0	68.5	$13,530	$373	$13,157
Columbus High School	Public	9-12	1700 Cherokee Ave	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 748-2534	1,131	61	18.5	18.3%	517 (45.7%)	246 (21.8%)	120 (10.6%)	169 (14.9%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	75 (6.6%)	97.2	3^rd of 458 public high schools	99.3%		91.3	16^th of 442 public high schools	96.4%	13	93.5	97.1	88.2	68.1									$7,960	$275	$7,684
Kendrick High School	Public	9-12	6015 Georgetown Dr	Columbus	31907	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 565-2960	876	53	16.4	96.6%	27 (3.1%)	754 (86.1%)	37 (4.2%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	4 (0.5%)	50 (5.7%)	14.4	400^th of 458 public high schools	12.7%		12	400^th of 442 public high schools	9.5%		16.4	5.9	13.5	22.4									$9,324	$694	$8,630
Hardaway High School	Public	9-12	2901 College Dr	Columbus	31906	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2766	1,184	79	15.0	96.6%	199 (16.8%)	764 (64.5%)	114 (9.6%)	9 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	92 (7.8%)	34.3	274^th of 458 public high schools	40.2%		28.4	294^th of 442 public high schools	33.5%	20	36.2	14.8	38.8	19.4									$8,880	$620	$8,259
Jordan Vocational High School	Public	9-12	3200 Howard Ave	Columbus	31904	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 748-2819	869	75	11.5	96.5%	197 (22.7%)	465 (53.5%)	128 (14.7%)	5 (0.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (7.8%)	12.3	408^th of 458 public high schools	10.9%		16	373^rd of 442 public high schools	15.6%	35	13.5	16.5	15.3	14.1									$10,851	$1,138	$9,712
Muscogee Youth Development Campus	Public	5-12	7700 Chattsworth Rd	Midland	31820	Muscogee County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 569-2863	49	8	6.1	93.9%	18 (36.7%)	24 (49.0%)	7 (14.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Aaron Cohn Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	7700-B Chattsworth Rd	Midland	31820	Muscogee County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 568-2498	8				1 (12.5%)	7 (87.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)		0.0
Shaw High School	Public	9-12	7579 Raider Way	Columbus	31909	Muscogee County	Muscogee County	No	No	No	No	(706) 569-3638	1,234	73	16.9	96.6%	227 (18.4%)	653 (52.9%)	214 (17.3%)	31 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	105 (8.5%)	27.3	316^th of 458 public high schools	31.0%		27.4	299^th of 442 public high schools	32.4%	17	33.0	22.5	29.2	17.9									$8,749	$367	$8,382

Frequently Asked Questions about Spencer High School

What district is Spencer High School in?

Muscogee County

What schools feed into Spencer High School?

Spencer High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dorothy Height Elementary School
Elementary : Key Elementary School
Elementary : Martin Luther King- Junior Elementary School
Elementary : South Columbus Elementary School
Elementary : St. Marys Video and Communication Technology
Middle : Eddy Middle School

Is Spencer High School a good school?

Spencer High School ranks in the bottom 9.0% of Georgia high schools.

How many students attend Spencer High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 943 students attended Spencer High School.

What is the racial makeup of Spencer High School?

Students at Spencer High School are 70% African American, 20% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 4% White.

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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.