The top reported proficiency rate is 78% in Social studies. The lowest is 32% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Stark Elementary School
Stark Elementary serves pre-K through fifth grade in Jackson, a small county-seat town between Atlanta and Macon. The school sits in a region marked by recent industrial growth—a Procter & Gamble fulfillment center and Amazon Web Services data center campus have been announced for Butts County—and by the steady southward push of metro Atlanta's exurban development. Housing values in the area are modest relative to national benchmarks, and rentals are lower as well, making this part of rural Georgia affordable for families relocating from more expensive metro areas.
The student body at Stark reflects the broader Jackson area: a majority white enrollment, about one in four students identified as Black, and a small Hispanic population. Nearly nine in ten students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that is pronounced even for a rural Georgia school.
State assessment results from the most recent school year show proficiency rates well below the midpoint across subjects and grade levels. In math, about two in five students in grade three met proficiency; that rate dropped to about one in three by grades four and five. English language arts proficiency was slightly lower: about one in three students across grades three through five demonstrated proficiency. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similarly low. These are the state's End of Grade assessments; the results reflect student performance on current Georgia standards. A parent reviewing these numbers should understand that Stark's students are not meeting grade-level benchmarks at rates typical of higher-performing schools, and a parent weighing a move to Jackson or already living in the district may want to engage directly with the school about literacy and math support, intervention pathways, and what classroom practices address these gaps.
Only one year of current proficiency data is available in the system, so trend information over time is not yet present. Social studies results from a prior state test showed stronger proficiency, though that assessment is no longer in use.
The school is a regular public school, not a magnet or charter. It enrolls about two-thirds of a typical elementary cohort. Pre-K through second grade enrollment is steady; testing grades three through five show similar populations. The school draws from Jackson and surrounding areas within Butts County. No data on English learner population or special education enrollment rates are available in the public record.
The Butts County school district passed a property-tax referendum in May 2025 by a wide margin, locking in local revenue authority. That same fall, voters raised the senior homestead exemption and the state enacted a freeze on homesteaded property values at 2024 assessments with future increases capped at inflation. Earlier in 2024, however, the district advanced a budget that raised school property taxes, drawing vocal opposition from senior homeowners at public hearings. For families considering a move to the area, this means Stark sits in a district whose funding is tied to local property taxes that have been rising and whose future burden will depend on both local voting and state-level property-tax policy. Housing in the Jackson 30233 zip code remains well below state and national medians, and rent-to-income ratios are manageable, but the property-tax picture is active and worth understanding before buying in.
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