Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

Q: Is Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School a good school?

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School ranks 843 rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School is a public elementary school serving 610 students in grades PK-5 in Jesup, Georgia, which is part of the Wayne County School District. However, the school consistently underperforms state and county averages on standardized tests, ranking between 638-968 out of 1,200-1,250 Georgia elementary schools over the past 10 years and maintaining a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating below-average performance.

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary has a very high percentage of students, around 72-75%, who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, significantly higher than the state average. This suggests that poverty and socioeconomic challenges may be significant factors impacting the school's performance. Interestingly, the other elementary schools in the Wayne County district, such as Odum Elementary, generally outperform Martha Rawls Smith on test scores and statewide rankings, with Odum being a high-performing school in the top 5% of Georgia elementary schools.

Despite the relatively low spending per student at Martha Rawls Smith, between $9,100-$10,300, the school's test scores and rankings are still below the state and county averages. This indicates that simply increasing funding may not be the sole solution to improving outcomes at the school. The consistent underperformance of Martha Rawls Smith Elementary over the past 10 years suggests that addressing the school's challenges will likely require a multi-faceted approach targeting both academic and socioeconomic factors.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

1206 N 4th St
Jesup, GA 31545

(912) 427-1044

District: Wayne County

SchoolDigger Rank:
843^rd of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Students who attend Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Arthur Williams Middle School
High:	Wayne County High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.5

Number of students: 610

Racial breakdown:

White:

42.8%

African American:

33.0%

Hispanic:

15.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 75.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School ranks worse than 67.5% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.58. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Wayne County:

SchoolDigger ranks Wayne County 93^rd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	38.66	772^nd	1101	29.9%
2007	35.46	835^th	1125	25.8%
2010	39.12	833^rd	1183	29.6%
2011	54.55	648^th	1212	46.5%
2012	42.61	820^th	1201	31.7%
2013	26.29	1000^th	1225	18.4%
2014	30.80	968^th	1231	21.4%
2015	34.73	807^th	1240	34.9%
2016	43.49	663^rd	1233	46.2%
2017	42.06	676^th	1205	43.9%
2018	45.11	628^th	1209	48.1%
2019	48.27	607^th	1234	50.8%
2021	43.63	638^th	1214	47.4%
2022	30.24	840^th	1244	32.5%
2023	28.14	870^th	1242	30.0%
2024	30.58	843^rd	1248	32.5%

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:

by a parent
Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Mrse is an excellent school with the best teachers and students ever!! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1994	413	200	4	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	629
1995	398	176	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	586
1996	398	176	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	586
1997	410	182	3	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	609
1998	396	183	4	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	599
1999	406	182	2	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	612
2000	444	155	1	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	626
2001	411	170	3	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	611
2002	400	178	4	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
2003	400	178	4	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	608
2004	358	164	4	21	1	n/a	n/a	0	548
2005	340	162	2	20	2	n/a	n/a	13	539
2006	349	159	3	28	2	n/a	n/a	13	554
2007	340	154	6	34	1	n/a	n/a	16	551
2008	354	140	2	32	0	n/a	n/a	15	543
2009	397	161	1	33	0	n/a	n/a	11	603
2010	315	190	2	39	1	1	2	0	550
2011	367	189	4	46	6	0	27	0	639
2012	330	188	5	57	3	0	32	0	615
2013	338	185	4	59	3	0	42	0	631
2014	315	184	5	55	1	0	38	0	598
2015	283	181	7	62	1	0	38	0	572
2016	278	198	6	64	1	0	33	0	580
2017	264	198	5	56	1	0	26	0	550
2018	265	207	5	60	0	0	30	0	567
2019	272	220	4	71	0	0	28	0	595
2020	292	231	5	93	0	0	34	0	655
2021	242	203	4	87	1	1	37	0	575
2022	254	184	1	85	0	1	43	0	568
2023	261	201	1	97	0	1	49	0	610

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 Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	629	35.0	18.0	47.1
1995	586	35.0	16.7	50.2
1996	586	35.0	16.7	50.2
1997	609	44.5	13.7	59.6
1998	599	36.6	16.4	62.9
1999	612	37.3	16.4	60.3
2000	626	35.0	17.9	58.8
2001	611	32.9	18.6	64.2
2002	608	32.5	18.7	59.5
2003	608	32.5	18.7	59.5
2004	548	30.5	18.0	60.2
2005	539	33.0	16.3	66.9
2006	554	38.9	14.2	67.1
2007	551	37.0	14.9	69.2
2008	543	39.5	13.7	67.8
2009	603	43.2	14.0	69.6
2010	550	42.6	12.9	70.7
2011	639	42.1	15.1	72.1
2012	615	41.0	15.0	77.7
2013	631	40.6	15.5	79.6
2014	598	38.8	15.4	78.8
2015	572	38.0	15.0	81.6
2016	580	39.0	14.8	82.9
2017	550	40.3	13.6	88.5
2018	567	43.3	13.0	87.7
2019	595	45.6	13.0	88.6
2020	655	45.6	14.3	79.2
2021	575	49.1	11.7	72.3
2022	568	43.2	13.1	n/a
2023	610	45.0	13.5	75.2

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 Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1994	629	35.0	18.0	47.1
1995	586	35.0	16.7	50.2
1996	586	35.0	16.7	50.2
1997	609	44.5	13.7	59.6
1998	599	36.6	16.4	62.9
1999	612	37.3	16.4	60.3
2000	626	35.0	17.9	58.8
2001	611	32.9	18.6	64.2
2002	608	32.5	18.7	59.5
2003	608	32.5	18.7	59.5
2004	548	30.5	18.0	60.2
2005	539	33.0	16.3	66.9
2006	554	38.9	14.2	67.1
2007	551	37.0	14.9	69.2
2008	543	39.5	13.7	67.8
2009	603	43.2	14.0	69.6
2010	550	42.6	12.9	70.7
2011	639	42.1	15.1	72.1
2012	615	41.0	15.0	77.7
2013	631	40.6	15.5	79.6
2014	598	38.8	15.4	78.8
2015	572	38.0	15.0	81.6
2016	580	39.0	14.8	82.9
2017	550	40.3	13.6	88.5
2018	567	43.3	13.0	87.7
2019	595	45.6	13.0	88.6
2020	655	45.6	14.3	79.2
2021	575	49.1	11.7	72.3
2022	568	43.2	13.1	n/a
2023	610	45.0	13.5	75.2

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 Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$697 (7.6%)	$8,418 (92.3%)	$9,116
2018	$993 (9.7%)	$9,286 (90.3%)	$10,279
2019	$948 (9.7%)	$8,865 (90.3%)	$9,813

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Martha Rawls Smith 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 607^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 870^th of 1242 Elementary schools	20.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	47.1	24.4	22.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wayne County)	44.6	29	15.6%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	51.8	29.3	22.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wayne County)	52.9	37.5	15.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	27.1	26.5	0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Wayne County)	35	31.5	3.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	45.9	28.9	17%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wayne County)	44.3	43.9	0.4%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	35.8	23.5	12.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Wayne County)	45.5	30.9	14.6%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	35.8	14.7	21.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wayne County)	42.2	32	10.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School)	42.1	35.3	6.8%
5th Grade Science (Wayne County)	48.6	44.8	3.8%
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	595	610	2.5%
African American	220	201	8.6%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	4	1	75%
Hispanic	71	97	36.6%
Pacific Islander	0	1
White	272	261	4%
Two or More Races	28	49	75%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	88.6%	75.2%	13.3%

Schools Near Martha Rawls Smith 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
Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1206 N 4th St	Jesup	31545	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 427-1044	610	45	13.5	75.2%	261 (42.8%)	201 (33.0%)	97 (15.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	49 (8.0%)	30.6	843^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	32.5%		28.1	870^th of 1242 public elementary schools	30.0%	27	34.5	16.7	31.7	40.2	31.5	19.5	33.3	$9,813	$948	$8,865
Bacon Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1425 W Orange St	Jesup	31545	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 427-1077	590	48	12.4	75.3%	371 (62.9%)	124 (21.0%)	56 (9.5%)	5 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (5.8%)	43.6	644^th of 1248 public elementary schools	48.4%		41.8	660^th of 1242 public elementary schools	46.9%	16	28.6	18.1	49.0	37.1	40.4	38.0	47.0	$9,875	$929	$8,946
Jesup Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1155 S US Highway 301	Jesup	31546	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 427-1033	680	50	13.7	75.1%	372 (54.7%)	192 (28.2%)	66 (9.7%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.2%)	29.8	856^th of 1248 public elementary schools	31.4%		33.4	789^th of 1242 public elementary schools	36.5%	67	22.0	17.8	35.3	32.0	36.7	26.1	36.1	$9,083	$668	$8,415
Smiley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1530 Ga Highway 57	Ludowici	31316	Long County	Long County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 545-2147	1,258	64	19.6	67.0%	604 (48.0%)	290 (23.1%)	220 (17.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	7 (0.6%)	134 (10.7%)								(n/a)								$9,838	$576	$9,263
Odum Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1 Blue Jay Drive	Odum	31555	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 586-2225	405	28	14.7	75.1%	361 (89.1%)	4 (1.0%)	25 (6.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.7%)	94.6	71^st of 1248 public elementary schools	94.3%		82	206^th of 1242 public elementary schools	83.4%	135	63.9	63.9	72.7	70.5	83.6	83.6	76.4	$9,388	$510	$8,878
McClelland Elementary School	Public	3-5	2015 US Highway 84 E	Ludowici	31316	Long County	Long County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 545-7910	931	52	17.8	72.1%	437 (46.9%)	233 (25.0%)	151 (16.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	5 (0.5%)	102 (11.0%)	26	915^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.7%		33.7	785^th of 1242 public elementary schools	36.8%	130	22.6	22.5	30.7	33.7	34.9	21.2	26.6	$7,214	$553	$6,661
Screven Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	414 School St	Screven	31560	Wayne County	Wayne County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 579-2261	209	19	11.0	75.6%	172 (82.3%)	14 (6.7%)	19 (9.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)	38.4	720^th of 1248 public elementary schools	42.3%		57.1	486^th of 1242 public elementary schools	60.9%	234	36.7	27.3	31.3	46.7	39.4	31.3	28.1	$11,648	$678	$10,970
Taylors Creek Elementary School	Public	K-5	378 Airport Rd	Hinesville	31313	Liberty County	Liberty County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 369-0378	625	49	12.8	69.6%	147 (23.5%)	277 (44.3%)	101 (16.2%)	5 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.6%)	90 (14.4%)	70.3	342^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	72.6%		58	472^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	62.0%	130	52.0	37.5	49.1	62.3	75.0	51.4	38.7	$9,392	$538	$8,854
Waldo Pafford Elementary School	Public	K-5	2550 15th St	Hinesville	31313	Liberty County	Liberty County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 877-4188	831	40	20.8	69.6%	144 (17.3%)	448 (53.9%)	134 (16.1%)	10 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.1%)	83 (10.0%)	40	695^th of 1248 public elementary schools	44.3%		45.7	610^th of 1242 public elementary schools	50.9%	85	27.8	31.4	52.0	16.7	40.7	29.7	47.5	$10,283	$546	$9,737
Lyman Hall Elementary School	Public	K-5	1396 Shaw Rd	Hinesville	31313	Liberty County	Liberty County	No	No	No	Yes	(912) 368-3348	604	40	15.1	86.4%	91 (15.1%)	351 (58.1%)	81 (13.4%)	2 (0.3%)	4 (0.7%)	13 (2.2%)	62 (10.3%)	21.9	983^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	21.2%		26.5	892^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	28.2%	91	22.2	23.3	37.8	26.5	29.4	15.3	16.3	$9,238	$602	$8,636

Frequently Asked Questions about Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School

How many students attend Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 610 students attended Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School.

Is Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School a good school?

Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School ranks 843^rd of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School?

Students at Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School are 43% White, 33% African American, 16% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Arthur Williams Middle School
High : Wayne County High School

What district is Martha Rawls Smith Elementary School in?

Wayne County

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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.