Altama Elementary School, Brunswick GA

Original Research by School Decision on Altama Elementary School

Altama Elementary serves about six hundred students in pre-K through fifth grade in Brunswick, Georgia, near the coast south of Savannah. The school sits in a neighborhood marked by port industry and older residential areas, a short distance from both the historic downtown waterfront district and the newer Exit 38 suburban development corridor that has been growing rapidly in recent years.

The school's student body reflects significant economic need. Over nine-tenths of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The enrollment is predominantly Black, with Hispanic, white, and multiracial students making up the remainder. The racial and economic composition differs markedly from the broader county and state averages. Demographic data on special education enrollment and English learner status were not available.

State testing results from the 2024-2025 school year show proficiency rates well below the state median across tested subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from the low thirties in third grade down to the low twenties in fifth grade. English language arts proficiency sits in the low twenties for third grade and similar ranges for fourth and fifth. Science proficiency in fifth grade comes in at roughly the low twenties. An older social studies assessment from a decade ago is also on file but is not comparable to current state tests. These are low-performing academic results. A parent considering this school should ask the school directly about intervention strategies in reading and math, literacy coaching, tutoring, or after-school support, as well as what resources the school is putting toward closing the performance gaps.

The school is part of Glynn County Schools, a district that has secured voter approval for continued capital funding through roughly the end of the decade and has adopted a district-wide policy banning personal electronic devices during the school day for all K-12 students, effective the 2025-26 school year. The district also has flexibility in property tax exemption rules that affects family costs after purchase.

Brunswick itself is experiencing renewal in its historic downtown, with restored squares, waterfront parks, and a walkable grid of shops and restaurants that anchor civic life. The broader area is growing: new single-family subdivisions and mixed-use developments are emerging along the Exit 38 corridor and in Liberty Harbor near the Sidney Lanier Bridge, adding younger families to the region. Employers include the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the Southeast Georgia Health System, port operations, and tourism. Housing values in the area are below state and national benchmarks, and rents have remained relatively stable, making the area more affordable for families than many regions, though median rents consume a substantial share of household income.

Altama is a regular public elementary school with no magnet designation. Curriculum details, staffing, attendance rates, and special programs were not provided in available data. Families weighing enrollment should contact the school directly about its academic support structures, given the testing results, and about what instruction and resources are in place for students entering kindergarten or pre-K.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 334%

School 34% · District 46% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 50% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 45% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 34% · ▼ 13 pts below district

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

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 40% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 42% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 45% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Social studies

Grades 3-863%

School 63% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

This schoolGlynn 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-income21%Higher-income40%19 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income23%Higher-income40%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income31%Higher-income50%19 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income32%Higher-income55%23 pp gap