Otis J Brock Iii Elementary School, Savannah GA

Original Research by School Decision on Otis J Brock Iii Elementary School

Otis J Brock III Elementary serves pre-K through fifth grade in a Savannah neighborhood setting. The school is small to mid-sized for an elementary, with a student body that is predominantly Black, with smaller Hispanic, white, and multiracial shares. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic composition of the school's immediate area.

Academic proficiency across tested grades is low. In third grade, English language arts proficiency stood in the low teens and math proficiency in the low twenties. Fourth grade showed modest improvement in math to the high thirties but remained under one-fifth in ELA. Fifth grade math proficiency dropped sharply to the mid-teens, and science proficiency at that grade was also in the mid-teens. ELA in fifth grade reached low twenties. These results suggest that most students are not yet meeting grade-level standards across reading, writing, and mathematics. The school's trajectory on state tests is unclear because current data spans only one year; a parent may want to look into what the school is doing to address these performance gaps and what supports exist for students who are below grade level.

Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools has recently adopted a Science of Reading framework across all elementary classrooms as part of district-wide compliance with state legislation on literacy instruction. This means the school is now using consistent instructional materials and training focused on phonics, phonemic awareness, and evidence-based reading methods. Whether this shift translates into improved outcomes will likely take time to measure, but it represents a deliberate district commitment to reading instruction methodology that differs from prior practice.

The district is also in the middle of a Long-Range Facilities Plan that is reshaping attendance zones and reconfiguring schools to accommodate rapid growth in western Chatham County. Voters approved a continuing education sales tax in March 2025 to fund capital improvements through 2030, including new schools, rebuilds, and renovations across the district. Otis J Brock itself is not listed among the schools slated for major renovation, so families choosing this school should be aware of its current physical infrastructure and any plans for upgrades.

The surrounding area is Savannah proper, a coastal city with a historic downtown anchored by preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture, public squares, and Forsyth Park. The broader Savannah region is experiencing rapid population and economic growth driven by major employers including Gulfstream Aerospace, the Port of Savannah, Fort Stewart military complex, healthcare systems, and new industrial investment like Hyundai's electric vehicle plant. Housing costs in the zip code reflect this growth pressure and regional demand; rental and home values have shifted significantly in recent years. Job and housing growth in Savannah has outpaced the Southeast average, and overflow communities like Pooler and Richmond Hill are absorbing residents as central neighborhoods tighten.

For families in this catchment, Otis J Brock represents a neighborhood elementary school in an economically diverse, majority-Black area of Savannah experiencing both sustained growth and change at the district level. The school's current academic results show students facing significant learning gaps, and whether the district's literacy changes and broader instructional focus will narrow those gaps remains to be observed. Parents should inquire directly about what interventions the school offers for students not yet proficient and what supports exist for meeting the school's specific challenges.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 326%

School 26% · District 34% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 42% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 29% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 311%

School 11% · District 26% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 32% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 33% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 35% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Social studies

Grades 3-840%

School 40% · district not reported

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

This schoolSavannah-Chatham County, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grades 3-8Lower-income21%Higher-income39%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grades 3-8Lower-income23%Higher-income54%31 pp gap