Kemp Elementary School, Hampton GA

Original Research by School Decision on Kemp Elementary School

Kemp Elementary serves grades three through five in Hampton, a growing suburban city on Atlanta's south side. The school enrolls about that many students, nearly all of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a very small number of white, Asian, and multiracial students.

The school's academic performance on Georgia's end-of-grade assessments shows students struggling across tested subjects. In math, proficiency ranges from about a quarter of third graders to roughly two in five fourth graders, dropping again in fifth grade. English language arts proficiency is similarly low, spanning from about one in four third graders to roughly three in ten fourth graders and a similar share of fifth graders. Science proficiency in fifth grade is the weakest area tested, with only about one in six students meeting proficiency. These results place Kemp in the top quartile among Clayton County's five districts on overall proficiency, though the absolute levels remain below state norms and the county median.

The school's context is Clayton County, a district undergoing significant capital investment. Voters approved a substantial ESPLOST referendum in 2023 that will renovate or replace aging buildings across the system. The district has also launched a districtwide shift to science-of-reading-based literacy instruction, including universal reading screening and tutoring in all K-5 classrooms, part of the county's literacy initiative. These are system-level changes that shape how reading is taught and assessed in Kemp's classrooms.

Hampton itself is a small, quiet suburban community with a restored historic downtown core and a strong growth trajectory. The city is adding hundreds of homes through new subdivisions, and a large master-planned mixed-use development approved nearby is slated to bring thousands of additional residences over the coming years. Housing values are modest relative to Georgia and national benchmarks, and the rental market is affordable at roughly a quarter of median household income. The local economy is anchored by the FAA's regional air-traffic control center, a major manufacturer, and the EchoPark Speedway, which hosts NASCAR races twice yearly. Commutes are typical for the Atlanta region; the area is car-dependent outside the small downtown. Schools in Hampton address are zoned to both Henry County and Clayton County systems depending on location.

A parent considering Kemp should understand that the school serves a fully economically disadvantaged student population and currently shows low proficiency across math, reading, and science. The broader district's investment in literacy instruction and building renovation may create changes over time, but academic performance is a significant concern worth exploring directly with the school. The school's position at the top of its county's proficiency distribution reflects the overall academic context of Clayton County schools rather than strong performance in absolute terms.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 29% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 21% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 17% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 23% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 25% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 23% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grades 3-862%

School 62% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

This schoolClayton 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.