Austell Elementary School, Austell GA

Original Research by School Decision on Austell Elementary School

Austell Elementary School serves the city of Austell and surrounding areas of Cobb County, educating students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits in a small city with a walkable historic downtown anchored by the Threadmill Complex and a regional economy built on manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and tourism. Austell itself is in active growth, with new residential subdivisions bringing single-family homes and townhouses to the area, though the city's footprint remains compact.

The school's enrollment is small to mid-sized, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller numbers of white students and students of two or more races.

On Georgia's state assessments for 2024-25, Austell Elementary's proficiency rates in both reading and math fall below the midpoint relative to other districts in Cobb County. In reading across all tested grades, the school showed a low proficiency rate. Math proficiency was somewhat higher but still modest. Fifth-grade science proficiency was comparable to math. The school's overall academic performance across tested subjects and grades places it below the county median when measured against other Cobb County school districts. Reading performance in fourth grade was particularly low, while fifth-grade reading showed relative strength. A parent considering this school may want to ask the school directly about reading support, particularly in the middle elementary grades, and about any academic intervention or enrichment programs in place.

The school's location in Austell provides access to civic resources including the Sweetwater Valley Library branch in downtown's Threadmill Complex, community parks with athletic fields, the Silver Comet Trail for outdoor recreation, and bus routes connecting to regional transit. The area is car-dependent outside the walkable downtown core, and transit options via CobbLinc require planning.

Housing in the Austell zip code is moderately priced relative to the Atlanta region and Georgia statewide benchmarks, with a modest year-over-year decline. Monthly rental costs run below the estimated mortgage payment in the area, making renting the lower-cost housing option. The economic context shows stable employment, though mortgage rates remain elevated. New residential development is active, which may add enrollment pressure to the school in coming years.

State testing data for elementary grades in Georgia covers only grades three through five and only certain subjects, so proficiency results for pre-K through grade two are not available. The school does not serve high school grades, so a graduation rate does not apply. Data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment were not available. School discipline data and teacher staffing numbers were also not provided.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 50% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 57% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 49% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 43% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 47% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · even with county median

Social studies

Grades 3-878%

School 78% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolCobb 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-income36%Higher-income50%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grades 3-8Lower-income38%Higher-income57%20 pp gap