Parkway Elementary School, Evans GA

Original Research by School Decision on Parkway Elementary School

Parkway Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Evans, Georgia, a growing and affluent suburb of Augusta that is anchored by recent investment in town-center development. The school draws from an educated, economically stable community where housing is above state benchmarks and employment is concentrated in health care, education, and professional services.

The school's academic performance shows real strength in math and science. Math proficiency across the tested grades runs strong, with third and fourth graders at roughly four out of five meeting the standard and fifth graders just below that mark. Science proficiency in the fifth grade cohort is notably solid. English language arts proficiency trails somewhat, with third graders at about two-thirds and upper grades in the low to mid-seventies, suggesting reading and writing are areas where more students need additional support than in quantitative subjects. Across all subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it well above the median among Columbia County school districts.

The enrollment of about seven hundred seventy students spans roughly even cohorts from kindergarten through fifth grade, creating a stable, established elementary school of typical size for its grade band. Just over a quarter of the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a sign that while the catchment is generally affluent, meaningful economic diversity exists within it. The racial and ethnic composition is mixed, with white students making up a majority, but with substantial populations of Hispanic, Black, and Asian students represented. English learner and special education enrollment figures were not available in the data.

The school sits within Columbia County's public system, which has been navigating significant district-wide change. A 2024 rezoning following the opening of a new elementary school and closure of another reset attendance boundaries across multiple schools, so families new to the area should verify that their address aligns with current attendance zones. On the positive side, the district has extended its sales tax through voter approval, securing ongoing funding for facilities and technology without raising rates. The district is also rolling out its own curriculum framework across language arts, math, science, and social studies, with benchmark assessments embedded to track progress. Additionally, the school property-tax millage has been cut for five consecutive years, a sustained reduction in the school portion of property taxes for homeowners.

Evans itself is car-dependent suburban, though new development in the town center has introduced some walkable mixed-use space around the library, courthouse, performing arts center, and downtown retail. The community has hospitals, Fort Gordon, and the University Health Care System as anchors, along with family-oriented neighborhoods and parks. Growth in the area is active and ongoing, with residential development planned to expand the population considerably over the next several years.

A parent evaluating Parkway should weigh its strong math and science results against softer English language arts proficiency, particularly in third grade, where reading readiness becomes more formally assessed. The school's stable size, diverse enrollment, and solid overall standing in the county present a traditional elementary option in an established, growing community with sustained public investment in schools.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 64% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 72% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 577%

School 77% · District 68% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 52% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 476%

School 76% · District 61% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 572%

School 72% · District 65% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Science

Grade 584%

School 84% · District 68% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

This schoolColumbia 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

Grade 3Lower-income48%Higher-income73%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income49%Higher-income68%20 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income77%19 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income52%Higher-income73%22 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income64%Higher-income80%16 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income68%Higher-income79%11 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income52%Higher-income81%29 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income62%Higher-income80%18 pp gap