Wacona Elementary School

Q: Is Wacona Elementary School a good school?

Wacona Elementary School ranks 504 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Wacona Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 937 students in grades PK-5 in Waycross, Georgia, which is part of the Ware County School District. Despite serving a high-poverty student population, with 93.7% to 97.8% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Wacona Elementary generally outperforms the Ware County and Georgia averages on the Milestones Assessments, particularly in 5th grade English Language Arts and 3rd/4th grade Mathematics.

Wacona Elementary spends more per student ($10,223 in 2018-2019) compared to the other Ware County elementary schools, and has a higher student-teacher ratio (18.9-19.6) than the other schools in the district (10.3-14.0). This suggests that the school's relatively stronger academic performance may be attributed to its higher level of resources and funding. In contrast, the elementary schools in the neighboring Pierce County district significantly outperform Wacona and the other Ware County schools on the Milestones Assessments, despite having lower free/reduced lunch rates, indicating potential opportunities for the Ware County district to learn from higher-performing districts and further improve educational outcomes.

Overall, Wacona Elementary School appears to be a solid performing school within the Ware County district, providing a quality education to its high-poverty student population. The school's test scores, particularly in 5th grade ELA and 3rd/4th grade Math, stand out as key strengths, and the school's higher spending per student and student-teacher ratio compared to other Ware County schools may be contributing factors to its relatively stronger academic performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3101 State St
Waycross, GA 31503

(912) 287-2362

District: Ware County

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,223

Students who attend Wacona Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Ware County Middle School
High:	Ware County High School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.1

Number of students: 963

Racial breakdown:

White:

57.5%

African American:

27.5%

Hispanic:

7.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 86.6%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Wacona Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Wacona Elementary School ranks better than 59.6% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 4^th among 6 ranked elementary schools in the Ware County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.05. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Wacona Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Ware County School District. Racial makeup is: White (57.5%), African American (27.5%), Hispanic (7.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 86.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wacona Elementary School is 19.1, which is the highest among 6 elementary schools in the Ware County School District! (See more...)

Compare Wacona Elementary School employs 50.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wacona Elementary School is $10,223, which is the 3^rd highest among 6 elementary schools in the Ware County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Ware County:

SchoolDigger ranks Ware County 77^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Wacona Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	61.74	478^th	1101	56.6%
2007	53.41	608^th	1125	46.0%
2008	64.47	423^rd	1134	62.7%
2009	66.69	398^th	1133	64.9%
2010	54.93	626^th	1183	47.1%
2011	65.11	487^th	1212	59.8%
2012	70.41	380^th	1201	68.4%
2013	57.82	640^th	1225	47.8%
2014	67.89	442^nd	1231	64.1%
2015	50.33	574^th	1240	53.7%
2016	49.88	568^th	1233	53.9%
2017	47.77	585^th	1205	51.5%
2018	64.08	386^th	1209	68.1%
2019	71.43	316^th	1234	74.4%
2021	45.80	610^th	1214	49.8%
2022	51.32	556^th	1244	55.3%
2023	47.04	590^th	1242	52.5%
2024	55.05	504^th	1248	59.6%

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:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Wacona Elementary 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	909	909
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	902	902
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	893	893
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	930	930
1994	862	68	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	933
1995	544	272	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	824
1996	544	272	4	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	824
1997	579	315	2	4	2	n/a	n/a	0	902
1998	609	241	2	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	858
1999	605	257	2	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	876
2000	595	234	1	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	845
2001	598	226	7	7	4	n/a	n/a	0	842
2002	615	196	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	822
2003	615	196	3	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	822
2004	607	192	5	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	814
2005	592	203	3	10	0	n/a	n/a	27	835
2006	621	190	0	10	3	n/a	n/a	21	845
2007	595	228	1	15	3	n/a	n/a	22	864
2008	606	233	5	16	2	n/a	n/a	24	886
2009	611	223	4	19	0	n/a	n/a	30	887
2010	613	255	2	32	3	0	26	0	931
2011	612	264	4	32	1	0	30	0	943
2012	623	286	1	32	2	0	29	0	973
2013	635	258	1	40	4	0	28	0	966
2014	584	319	0	49	1	0	43	0	996
2015	633	302	6	45	0	1	59	0	1046
2016	620	291	2	48	0	1	62	0	1024
2017	594	316	5	59	2	1	55	0	1032
2018	552	327	3	42	0	1	63	0	988
2019	566	294	2	43	0	1	71	0	977
2020	603	283	3	46	4	0	78	0	1017
2021	557	273	3	52	0	0	70	0	955
2022	531	283	2	45	0	0	59	0	920
2023	528	291	3	51	2	0	62	0	937
2024	554	265	2	73	3	0	66	0	963

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 Wacona Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	909	45.0	20.2	21.6
1991	902	51.0	17.6	23.5
1992	893	50.0	17.8	29.8
1993	930	55.0	16.9	32.4
1994	933	61.0	15.3	35
1995	824	46.0	17.9	37.4
1996	824	46.0	17.9	37.4
1997	902	43.0	21.0	60.5
1998	858	48.3	17.8	64.6
1999	876	49.2	17.8	59.4
2000	845	46.0	18.4	59.1
2001	842	40.2	20.9	56.4
2002	822	40.4	20.3	56.8
2003	822	40.4	20.3	56.8
2004	814	41.7	19.5	59.5
2005	835	44.3	18.8	60
2006	845	43.2	19.6	59
2007	864	48.2	17.9	62.2
2008	886	51.1	17.3	62.5
2009	887	49.4	18.0	65.6
2010	931	44.7	20.8	68.9
2011	943	47.0	20.0	65.1
2012	973	46.8	20.7	69.1
2013	966	47.7	20.2	69.3
2014	996	46.6	21.3	74.6
2015	1046	48.0	21.7	90.1
2016	1024	48.0	21.3	90
2017	1032	47.5	21.7	90.1
2018	988	46.2	21.3	90.2
2019	977	47.0	20.7	97.7
2020	1017	49.0	20.7	97.8
2021	955	48.5	19.6	97.8
2022	920	48.5	18.9	n/a
2023	937	49.5	18.9	93.7
2024	963	50.3	19.1	86.6

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 Wacona Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	909	45.0	20.2	21.6
1991	902	51.0	17.6	23.5
1992	893	50.0	17.8	29.8
1993	930	55.0	16.9	32.4
1994	933	61.0	15.3	35
1995	824	46.0	17.9	37.4
1996	824	46.0	17.9	37.4
1997	902	43.0	21.0	60.5
1998	858	48.3	17.8	64.6
1999	876	49.2	17.8	59.4
2000	845	46.0	18.4	59.1
2001	842	40.2	20.9	56.4
2002	822	40.4	20.3	56.8
2003	822	40.4	20.3	56.8
2004	814	41.7	19.5	59.5
2005	835	44.3	18.8	60
2006	845	43.2	19.6	59
2007	864	48.2	17.9	62.2
2008	886	51.1	17.3	62.5
2009	887	49.4	18.0	65.6
2010	931	44.7	20.8	68.9
2011	943	47.0	20.0	65.1
2012	973	46.8	20.7	69.1
2013	966	47.7	20.2	69.3
2014	996	46.6	21.3	74.6
2015	1046	48.0	21.7	90.1
2016	1024	48.0	21.3	90
2017	1032	47.5	21.7	90.1
2018	988	46.2	21.3	90.2
2019	977	47.0	20.7	97.7
2020	1017	49.0	20.7	97.8
2021	955	48.5	19.6	97.8
2022	920	48.5	18.9	n/a
2023	937	49.5	18.9	93.7
2024	963	50.3	19.1	86.6

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 Wacona Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$735 (8.5%)	$7,952 (91.5%)	$8,687
2018	$872 (9.1%)	$8,756 (90.9%)	$9,628
2019	$974 (9.5%)	$9,249 (90.5%)	$10,223

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wacona 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 316^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 590^th of 1242 Elementary schools	21.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wacona Elementary School)	41.7	35	6.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ware County)	40.4	30.6	9.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wacona Elementary School)	54.2	35	19.2%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Ware County)	40.5	39	1.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wacona Elementary School)	61	36.6	24.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ware County)	46.9	32.5	14.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wacona Elementary School)	63.8	46.4	17.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Ware County)	48.7	42.8	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wacona Elementary School)	55.4	36.4	19%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ware County)	45.1	38.6	6.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wacona Elementary School)	52.2	33	19.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Ware County)	41.1	37	4.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Wacona Elementary School)	60.9	30.7	30.2%
5th Grade Science (Ware County)	47	43.4	3.6%
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	977	937	4.1%
African American	294	291	1%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	3	50%
Hispanic	43	51	18.6%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	566	528	6.7%
Two or More Races	71	62	12.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	97.7%	93.7%	4%

Schools Near Wacona 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 English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wacona Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3101 State St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2362	963	50	19.1	86.6%	554 (57.5%)	265 (27.5%)	73 (7.6%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	66 (6.9%)	55.1	504^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.6%		47	590^th of 1242 public elementary schools	52.5%	86	42.3	28.7	55.8		46.2	44.7	33.7		47.1	$10,223	$974	$9,249
Center Elementary School	Public	K-5	2114 Dorothy St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2366	470	37	12.6	95.7%	121 (25.7%)	274 (58.3%)	37 (7.9%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (7.0%)	38.7	715^th of 1248 public elementary schools	42.7%		34.3	777^th of 1242 public elementary schools	37.4%	62	33.8	38.0	35.2		32.4	59.2	22.7		23.9	$8,843	$776	$8,067
Williams Heights Elementary School	Public	K-5	705 Dewey St	Waycross	31501	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2399	436	35	12.4	80.3%	146 (33.5%)	221 (50.7%)	26 (6.0%)	7 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (8.3%)	62.9	427^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.8%		57.7	478^th of 1242 public elementary schools	61.5%	51	42.3	38.0	54.3		49.3	40.8	52.9		51.4	$10,584	$955	$9,629
Memorial Drive Elementary School	Public	K-5	2580 Ambrose St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2327	372	34	10.8	100.0%	183 (49.2%)	134 (36.0%)	16 (4.3%)	9 (2.4%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (7.5%)	52.4	536^th of 1248 public elementary schools	57.1%		46.8	597^th of 1242 public elementary schools	51.9%	61	30.4	35.3	46.7		48.2	62.7	38.3		33.9	$10,050	$1,169	$8,881
Waresboro Elementary School	Public	K-5	3379 W Church St	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2393	420	37	11.2	81.9%	232 (55.2%)	109 (26.0%)	44 (10.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.6%)	69.3	351^st of 1248 public elementary schools	71.9%		52.5	527^th of 1242 public elementary schools	57.6%	176	34.5	32.4	67.1		51.7	59.5	50.0		65.7	$9,947	$846	$9,101
Midway Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3244 Midway Church Rd	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 807-0084	479	33	14.4	57.4%	388 (81.0%)	6 (1.3%)	62 (12.9%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (4.2%)	89.5	142^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	88.6%		93.4	92^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	92.6%	50	45.6	70.1	76.0		60.3	73.1	70.7		84.0	$9,929	$645	$9,284
Ruskin Elementary School	Public	K-5	3550 Valdosta Hwy	Waycross	31503	Ware County	Ware County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 287-2325	374	32	11.6	100.0%	146 (39.0%)	130 (34.8%)	58 (15.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (10.2%)	55.4	500^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.9%		58	474^th of 1242 public elementary schools	61.8%	26	36.2	37.3	40.6		48.3	55.2	35.9		48.4	$10,466	$1,555	$8,911
Blackshear Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5217 Ga Highway 121	Blackshear	31516	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 449-2088	845	60	14.0	81.9%	562 (66.5%)	136 (16.1%)	93 (11.0%)	4 (0.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (5.4%)	70.5	340^th of 1248 public elementary schools	72.8%		66.8	373^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	70.0%	33	34.2	49.6	56.6		71.1	64.1	41.9		48.8	$9,548	$1,118	$8,430
Hoboken Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	224 Church St N	Hoboken	31542	Brantley County	Brantley County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 458-2135	532	41	13.0	67.9%	478 (89.8%)	8 (1.5%)	22 (4.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.9%)	83.3	196^th of 1248 public elementary schools	84.3%		84.5	182^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	85.3%	14	28.1	49.2	77.6	60.0	81.3	67.7	70.7	63.6	63.8	$9,444	$746	$8,698
Patterson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3414 Drawdy St	Patterson	31557	Pierce County	Pierce County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 647-5373	453	33	13.6	61.6%	381 (84.1%)	18 (4.0%)	37 (8.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.5%)	93.2	95^th of 1248 public elementary schools	92.4%		91.6	111^th of 1242 public elementary schools	91.1%	16	65.7	51.4	78.9		71.6	81.1	86.0		77.2	$9,941	$671	$9,269

Frequently Asked Questions about Wacona Elementary School

What district is Wacona Elementary School in?

Ware County

What is the racial makeup of Wacona Elementary School?

Students at Wacona Elementary School are 58% White, 28% African American, 8% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

Is Wacona Elementary School a good school?

Wacona Elementary School ranks 504^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Wacona Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 963 students attended Wacona Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Wacona Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Ware County Middle School
High : Ware County 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.