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T. J. Elder Middle School

Summary:

T.J. Elder Middle School is a public middle school in Sandersville, Georgia, serving 662 students in grades 6-8 and part of the Washington County School District, which is ranked 175 out of 203 districts in the state.

While T.J. Elder Middle School consistently performs below the state average in most academic subjects, it stands out with relatively strong performance in Algebra I, with 76% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 44%. However, the school faces challenges, including a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (77.49% to 77.82%) and a decline in per-student spending from $9,670 in 2016-2017 to $9,379 in 2018-2019. In contrast, the nearby Johnson County Middle School, which is part of a higher-ranked Johnson County district, generally performs better than T.J. Elder across most subject areas and grade levels.

The analysis of T.J. Elder Middle School reveals significant challenges in academic performance, with the school consistently ranking in the bottom half of Georgia middle schools. However, the school's strength in Algebra I and the potential impact of economic disadvantage and resource allocation provide opportunities for targeted interventions and improvements. Addressing these key areas could be crucial for enhancing the educational experience and outcomes for the students at T.J. Elder Middle School.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 902 Linton Rd
       Sandersville, GA  31082

(478) 552-2007

District: Washington County

SchoolDigger Rank:
488th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools


Students who attend T. J. Elder Middle School usually attend:

High:    Washington County High School

Feeder schools for T. J. Elder Middle School:

Elementary:    Ridge Road Elementary School
    Ridge Road Primary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.5 Help
Number of students:  662

Racial breakdown:

African American:
69.0%
White:
25.2%
Two or more races:
3.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  77.5% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details T. J. Elder Middle School ranks worse than 83% of middle schools in Georgia. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 18.94. (See more...)
Student Body
Teachers
Finance
Schooldigger Rankings:

T. J. Elder Middle School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.
SchoolDigger ranks T. J. Elder Middle School 488th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See T. J. Elder Middle School in the ranking list.)

Washington County:

SchoolDigger ranks Washington County 175th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for T. J. Elder Middle School

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Compare
Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools GA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2006 43.07 286th 420 31.9%
2007 40.53 316th 445 29.0%
2008 36.02 350th 462 24.2%
2009 40.57 328th 466 29.6%
2010 41.12 336th 494 32.0%
2011 39.27 353rd 504 30.0%
2012 39.58 368th 508 27.6%
2013 36.43 393rd 527 25.4%
2014 32.00 416th 521 20.2%
2015 22.25 425th 537 20.9%
2016 28.01 401st 545 26.4%
2017 32.60 374th 539 30.6%
2018 31.47 382nd 543 29.7%
2019 29.10 409th 559 26.8%
2021 28.70 384th 542 29.2%
2022 22.79 438th 567 22.8%
2023 17.40 488th 577 15.4%
2024 18.94 488th 588 17.0%
See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

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

T. J. Elder Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    






Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for T. J. Elder Middle School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1999 276 556 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 836
2000 277 611 0 4 1 n/a n/a 0 893
2001 278 616 0 2 2 n/a n/a 0 898
2002 272 668 1 2 3 n/a n/a 0 946
2003 272 668 1 2 3 n/a n/a 0 946
2004 269 655 2 2 2 n/a n/a 0 930
2005 245 675 0 0 1 n/a n/a 12 933
2006 230 646 0 6 0 n/a n/a 11 893
2007 219 608 4 7 0 n/a n/a 7 845
2008 230 543 4 7 0 n/a n/a 4 788
2009 228 495 6 4 0 n/a n/a 7 740
2010 238 466 3 5 1 2 13 0 728
2011 220 475 1 6 0 4 13 0 719
2012 220 445 3 4 0 4 14 0 690
2013 215 449 5 5 0 2 15 0 691
2014 195 424 3 6 0 1 18 0 647
2015 189 431 2 7 0 1 21 0 651
2016 190 430 2 8 0 1 17 0 648
2017 217 432 2 9 1 0 24 0 685
2018 231 442 4 12 2 0 26 0 717
2019 228 459 6 11 2 0 27 0 733
2020 215 479 6 11 0 0 25 0 736
2021 204 501 4 11 0 0 24 0 744
2022 193 483 2 16 0 0 22 0 716
2023 167 457 1 14 0 0 23 0 662

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 T. J. Elder Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 836 53.0 15.8 56.6
2000 893 51.0 17.5 62
2001 898 54.0 16.6 58.1
2002 946 57.0 16.6 67.1
2003 946 57.0 16.6 67.1
2004 930 56.0 16.6 66.6
2005 933 56.0 16.7 66.7
2006 893 59.0 15.1 65.4
2007 845 58.0 14.6 64.8
2008 788 57.0 13.8 65.2
2009 740 50.0 14.8 66.7
2010 728 50.0 14.5 67.2
2011 719 45.0 15.9 67.6
2012 690 42.0 16.4 66.7
2013 691 43.0 16.0 68.2
2014 647 44.0 14.7 71.9
2015 651 44.0 14.7 71.7
2016 648 44.0 14.7 71.8
2017 685 46.0 14.8 71.8
2018 717 45.0 15.9 77.8
2019 733 47.8 15.3 77.9
2020 736 48.0 15.3 77.9
2021 744 50.0 14.8 77.8
2022 716 48.5 14.7 n/a
2023 662 48.8 13.5 77.5

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 T. J. Elder Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1999 836 53.0 15.8 56.6
2000 893 51.0 17.5 62
2001 898 54.0 16.6 58.1
2002 946 57.0 16.6 67.1
2003 946 57.0 16.6 67.1
2004 930 56.0 16.6 66.6
2005 933 56.0 16.7 66.7
2006 893 59.0 15.1 65.4
2007 845 58.0 14.6 64.8
2008 788 57.0 13.8 65.2
2009 740 50.0 14.8 66.7
2010 728 50.0 14.5 67.2
2011 719 45.0 15.9 67.6
2012 690 42.0 16.4 66.7
2013 691 43.0 16.0 68.2
2014 647 44.0 14.7 71.9
2015 651 44.0 14.7 71.7
2016 648 44.0 14.7 71.8
2017 685 46.0 14.8 71.8
2018 717 45.0 15.9 77.8
2019 733 47.8 15.3 77.9
2020 736 48.0 15.3 77.9
2021 744 50.0 14.8 77.8
2022 716 48.5 14.7 n/a
2023 662 48.8 13.5 77.5

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 T. J. Elder Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017 $1,118 (11.6%) $8,552 (88.4%) $9,670
2018 $929 (9.8%) $8,559 (90.2%) $9,487
2019 $907 (9.7%) $8,472 (90.3%) $9,379

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

Impact of COVID-19 on T. J. Elder Middle 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 409th of 559 Middle schoolsRanks 488th of 577 Middle schools
 11.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (T. J. Elder Middle School)31.117.3
 13.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Washington County)31.117.3
 13.8%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4639.2
 6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (T. J. Elder Middle School)27.113.2
 13.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Washington County)27.113.2
 13.9%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4032.9
 7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (T. J. Elder Middle School)2517
 8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Washington County)2517
 8%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)3939.1
 0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (T. J. Elder Middle School)39.815.7
 24.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Washington County)39.815.7
 24.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)4334.9
 8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (T. J. Elder Middle School)31.620.8
 10.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Washington County)31.620.8
 10.8%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)4742.1
 4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (T. J. Elder Middle School)19.516.1
 3.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Washington County)19.516.1
 3.4%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)3536.2
 1.2%
8th Grade Science (T. J. Elder Middle School)1812.7
 5.3%
   8th Grade Science (Washington County)1812.7
 5.3%
   8th Grade Science (Georgia)3226.4
 5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (T. J. Elder Middle School)21.39.8
 11.5%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Washington County)21.39.8
 11.5%
   8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)4135.9
 5.1%
End of Course Algebra I (T. J. Elder Middle School)10051.9
 48.1%
   End of Course Algebra I (Washington County)1618.4
 2.4%
   End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)41.135.8
 5.3%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students733662
 9.7%
African American459457
 0.4%
American Indian20
 100%
Asian61
 83.3%
Hispanic1114
 27.3%
Pacific Islander00
White228167
 26.8%
Two or More Races2723
 14.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients77.9%77.5%
 0.4%

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Frequently Asked Questions about T. J. Elder Middle School

Students at T. J. Elder Middle School are 69% African American, 25% White, 3% Two or more races, 2% Hispanic.

Students who attend T. J. Elder Middle School usually go on to attend Washington County High School

T. J. Elder Middle School ranks in the bottom 17.0% of Georgia middle schools.

In the 2022-23 school year, 662 students attended T. J. Elder Middle 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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