S.L. Mason Elementary School

Summary:

S.L. Mason Elementary School is a public elementary school in Valdosta, Georgia, serving 887 students in grades PK-5 as part of the Valdosta City School District.

S.L. Mason Elementary consistently performs below the Valdosta City and Georgia state averages in English Language Arts and Mathematics on state assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 14.6% of 3rd graders, 19.2% of 4th graders, and 23.4% of 5th graders were proficient or better in ELA, compared to the Valdosta City averages of 17%, 17.4%, and 29.9%, respectively. The school has maintained a 1- or 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is among the lowest-performing schools in the state. This may be due in part to the high percentage of economically disadvantaged students, ranging from 92.33% to 94.64% over the past three years.

Interestingly, the nearby elementary schools in the Lowndes County School District, such as Hahira Elementary, Clyattville Elementary, and Pine Grove Elementary, consistently outperform S.L. Mason Elementary and other Valdosta City schools on academic measures. This suggests a broader challenge within the Valdosta City district that may require targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 821 W Gordon St
       Valdosta, GA  31601


(229) 333-8525

District: Valdosta City

SchoolDigger Rank:
1024th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools


Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Valdosta Middle School
High:    Valdosta High School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.7 Help
Number of students:  887

Racial breakdown:

African American:
68.3%
White:
13.2%
Hispanic:
12.6%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  92.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details S.L. Mason Elementary School ranks worse than 82.1% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.63. (See more...)
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

S.L. Mason Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Valdosta City:

SchoolDigger ranks Valdosta City 179th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2010 37.14 859th 1183 27.4%
2011 35.98 889th 1212 26.7%
2012 44.56 796th 1201 33.7%
2013 43.89 827th 1225 32.5%
2014 51.57 719th 1231 41.6%
2015 33.92 815th 1240 34.3%
2016 27.86 883rd 1233 28.4%
2017 17.02 1019th 1205 15.4%
2018 16.91 1022nd 1209 15.5%
2019 20.93 984th 1234 20.3%
2021 27.91 840th 1214 30.8%
2022 28.84 864th 1244 30.5%
2023 22.99 962nd 1242 22.5%
2024 18.63 1024th 1248 17.9%
See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

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

S.L. Mason Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    





Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, September 10, 2023

Open Quote I would give them 0 stars if possible. If your child(ren) have special needs do everything possible to avoid this school! 504 Acommodations are not implemented and the teachers will lie to your face about it. The principal backs his staff 100 no matter what and he will lie straight to your face too, ALTHOUGH as a principal his job is supposed to be to support WHATEVER is in the BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD. They love to promise all sorts of things then do the complete opposite, or promise one thing in a meeting then try to cover up their mistakes by claiming that's not what they said. GET EVERYTHING RECORDED OR IN WRITING!!
They have bullied, harrassed and singled out my family since day one. NOTHING is more important to them than attendance, EVEN with documented medical concerns. They have me in a constant state of severe anxiety. NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TAKING CARE OF MEDICAL NEEDS BEFORE SCHOOL AND BEING LATE OR IGNORING MEDICAL CARE JUST TO GET THEIR KID TO SCHOOL ON TIME FOR FEAR OF HAVING DFCS CONTACTED AND/OR TRUENCY COURT.
I pray every day for a miracle to get us out of that absolutely pathetic excuse of a school. If your child has any special needs avoid this school at all costs!!! Close Quote


by a parent
Saturday, March 19, 2016

Open Quote This school doesn't even deserve 1 star. Some of the staff are unprofessional and slack in many areas. My son is in the 2nd grade and has autism. He Has been to 4 other schools before this one and I have never had to deal with problems at another school like I have at S.L. Mason. The communication between me and the school is poor and nonexistent. I do not get called when my son has an emergency situation. Instead of coming to me about their "concerns" they report to DFCS. I've spoken with the principals about this and there still is no improvement. If you have a special needs child, don't enroll him/her in this school unless you want to deal with DFCS, miscommunication, and a cold-shoulder all year long. Close Quote



Enrollment information for S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 208 730 12 10 2 n/a n/a 21 983
2010 195 641 11 29 3 0 17 0 896
2011 198 641 12 24 4 0 11 0 890
2012 205 588 7 24 3 1 11 0 839
2013 205 590 12 15 5 2 12 0 841
2014 196 595 14 38 3 2 12 0 860
2015 194 684 10 64 1 1 24 0 978
2016 164 635 7 74 2 0 21 0 903
2017 138 687 10 73 2 0 36 0 946
2018 145 635 9 89 2 1 38 0 919
2019 118 644 13 96 1 2 26 0 900
2020 120 604 5 99 0 2 40 0 870
2021 123 578 7 95 0 2 34 0 839
2022 122 595 8 97 0 2 35 0 859
2023 117 606 7 112 0 1 44 0 887

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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 983 78.3 12.6 79
2010 896 74.7 11.9 81.3
2011 890 65.7 13.5 78.4
2012 839 59.9 14.0 80.7
2013 841 58.2 14.4 82.2
2014 860 56.2 15.3 97.2
2015 978 61.0 16.0 100
2016 903 57.0 15.8 99.7
2017 946 61.5 15.3 100
2018 919 61.4 14.9 100
2019 900 60.9 14.7 100
2020 870 60.9 14.2 94.6
2021 839 62.1 13.5 94.6
2022 859 64.1 13.4 n/a
2023 887 64.4 13.7 92.3

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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 983 78.3 12.6 79
2010 896 74.7 11.9 81.3
2011 890 65.7 13.5 78.4
2012 839 59.9 14.0 80.7
2013 841 58.2 14.4 82.2
2014 860 56.2 15.3 97.2
2015 978 61.0 16.0 100
2016 903 57.0 15.8 99.7
2017 946 61.5 15.3 100
2018 919 61.4 14.9 100
2019 900 60.9 14.7 100
2020 870 60.9 14.2 94.6
2021 839 62.1 13.5 94.6
2022 859 64.1 13.4 n/a
2023 887 64.4 13.7 92.3

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 S.L. Mason Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $824 (10.2%) $7,281 (89.8%) $8,106
2018 $839 (9.5%) $7,961 (90.5%) $8,800
2019 $1,082 (11.5%) $8,361 (88.5%) $9,443

Data source: Georgia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on S.L. Mason 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 984th of 1234 Elementary schoolsRanks 962nd of 1242 Elementary schools
 2.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)26.520.9
 5.6%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)20.717.4
 3.3%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4238.6
 3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)32.432
 0.4%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)27.530.1
 2.6%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)5245.6
 6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)23.712.6
 11.1%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)25.713.3
 12.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4236.1
 5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)2925.2
 3.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)27.825.1
 2.7%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4945.7
 3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (S.L. Mason Elementary School)27.225.4
 1.8%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Valdosta City)26.422
 4.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4541.6
 3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (S.L. Mason Elementary School)22.221.2
 1%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Valdosta City)20.213.7
 6.5%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4137.4
 3.6%
5th Grade Science (S.L. Mason Elementary School)21.324.6
 3.3%
   5th Grade Science (Valdosta City)21.518.4
 3.1%
   5th Grade Science (Georgia)4340
 3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students900887
 1.4%
African American644606
 5.9%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian137
 46.2%
Hispanic96112
 16.7%
Pacific Islander21
 50%
White118117
 0.8%
Two or More Races2644
 69.2%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients100%92.3%
 7.7%


Schools Near S.L. Mason Elementary School









Frequently Asked Questions about S.L. Mason Elementary School

Students at S.L. Mason Elementary School are 68% African American, 13% White, 13% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 887 students attended S.L. Mason Elementary School.

S.L. Mason Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.9% of Georgia elementary schools.

Students who attend S.L. Mason Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Valdosta Middle School
High : Valdosta High 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.





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