Furlow Charter School, Americus GA

Original Research by School Decision on Furlow Charter School

Furlow Charter School is a K-12 public charter school in Americus, Sumter County, serving a small enrollment across all grade bands. The school's charter was renewed for a five-year term running through mid-2030, confirming its continued operation as a tuition-free public option in the area.

The student body reflects rural South Georgia demographics, with roughly two-thirds identifying as white, and meaningful shares identifying as Black, Hispanic, or two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need across the enrollment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available.

In state testing across mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies, Furlow's performance sits in the lower half of proficiency results. In mathematics, proficiency ranges across elementary and middle grades, with grades three and five showing particularly low results. English language arts shows more variation, with grade six performing notably higher than grades three, four, and five. Grade five science proficiency runs higher than grade eight science. Overall proficiency across tested subjects averages in the low-to-mid range. This performance places Furlow in the top quartile among districts and schools in Sumter County, which reflects the small district comparison universe rather than a strong statewide position. A parent may want to ask the school directly about intervention strategies in mathematics and about what grade-level transitions look like as students move from elementary into middle school.

The school offers an International Skills Diploma Seal and capstone program as a graduation pathway, distinguishing this credential from the standard Georgia high school diploma. This signals a deliberate pedagogical commitment to capstone projects and global competencies as a core high school experience rather than an elective add-on.

Americus itself is a small county-seat city in Southwest Georgia anchored by a walkable historic downtown with Victorian and Art Deco architecture, independent shops and restaurants, and a strong regional library system. The area is in the middle of significant economic development, with major solar projects and manufacturing expansion announced in recent years. The city is home to Georgia Southwestern State University and South Georgia Technical College. Housing values in the Americus zip code are substantially below the Georgia state median, making the area relatively affordable by state standards, though that data reflects the larger zip-code area rather than immediate school boundaries.

No graduation rate or high school course access data was available. No prior-year testing comparisons were available, so current-year results cannot be trended. The school's special-population enrollment data was not reported. These gaps reflect data reporting practices and do not indicate weakness; they are typical gaps for K-12 charter schools and grades not yet tested under Georgia's assessment system.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=80%Cohort of 22 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

467 schools plotted. 22 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 35%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 40%

▼ 5 pts below state median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 34%

▼ 4 pts below state median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 10 pts above state median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 40%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 42%

even with state median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 43%

▲ 8 pts above state median

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 39%

even with state median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▲ 9 pts above state median

Science

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 6 pts above state median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 11 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 49%

▲ 18 pts above state median

This schoolState Specialty Schools II- Furlow Charter School, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.