The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in Social studies. The lowest is 39% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Fourth District Elementary School
Fourth District Elementary School is a small rural elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through grade five in Surrency, a very small, declining town in southeastern Georgia. The school has about that enrollment size for its setting and sits on Blackshear Highway on the edge of town in a car-dependent rural area with limited walkability and no local commercial hub.
The school's academic performance shows meaningful challenges. State test results from 2024-25 show that in grade three, just over half of students met the proficiency standard in English language arts and about two-thirds in math. Performance drops sharply in the upper grades. Grade four students showed proficiency rates in the low single-digit percentiles in both English language arts and math. Grade five proficiency rates, while somewhat higher than grade four, remain below the midpoint across subjects: around half in English language arts, a third in math, and fewer than four in ten in science. These results suggest that students are falling further behind grade-level expectations as they progress through the school. A parent may want to look into what interventions the school is using for students struggling in math and reading, and whether there are plans to strengthen instruction in the elementary grades before achievement gaps become too deep to close.
The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful Hispanic population, smaller numbers of students identifying as multiracial or Black, and no students from other racial or ethnic groups. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic pressure in the surrounding community. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available.
Surrency itself is a place with economic headwinds. The town has experienced long-term population decline and is heavily car-dependent with very limited retail or services within town limits. Most employed residents work outside the immediate area, particularly in nearby Baxley. Housing is affordable; median home values are well below state and national benchmarks, and most housing stock consists of owner-occupied single-family homes and mobile homes. Broadband infrastructure has expanded recently under a state program. The school functions as one of the few civic anchors in the town, alongside City Hall.
At the district level, Appling County Schools held a referendum in May 2026 to continue a sales-tax authority that generates funds for facility improvements, technology, buses, and career and technical education facilities. Voters chose to continue this source of funding, which allows the district to pursue capital projects without raising property tax rates. This context matters for families weighing whether to move into the area: it suggests the district is investing in school buildings and infrastructure without burdening homeowners with property-tax increases.
Fourth District Elementary serves a rural, economically stretched community with real academic performance gaps, particularly in upper elementary grades. Families considering this school should have clear conversations with the school about reading and math support, what acceleration or remediation looks like, and what the enrollment and staffing picture looks like over time in a declining-population town.
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