Cornelia Elementary School, Cornelia GA

Original Research by School Decision on Cornelia Elementary School

Cornelia Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in a small Northeast Georgia foothills city that is experiencing growth and economic revitalization. The school sits in a compact, walkable downtown area anchored by a historic train depot and locally owned businesses, though the broader Cornelia community is car-dependent. The city's economy centers on manufacturing (poultry processing, surgical products, textiles) and service sectors, with a revitalized downtown attracting new residents and small businesses in recent years.

The school's student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment sits at a moderate size for its grade band, with the largest classes in first and fourth grades. The overwhelming majority of students come from families with economic need.

State testing results from the most recent year show proficiency rates well below the midpoint across all tested subjects. In math, proficiency ranges from single digits in third grade to roughly a third of students in fourth and fifth grades. English language arts proficiency follows a similar pattern, with roughly one in ten third graders meeting the standard and between a quarter and a third of fourth and fifth graders doing so. In science, about one in five fifth graders are proficient. These are significant gaps that a parent may want to look into further with the school and the district to understand the underlying factors and what supports are in place. Only one prior year of testing data was available, so trend information is not yet possible.

Cornelia is part of Habersham County Schools, a district that maintains one of the lowest school property tax millage rates in Northeast Georgia and has recently rolled it back further. The district renewed a one-cent sales tax dedicated to education in a referendum, which will fund facility upgrades, technology, buses, and new playgrounds across all eight elementary schools without relying on property tax increases. This approach reflects a deliberate affordability strategy for families considering the area.

Housing values in the 30531 zip code are moderate and have shown modest appreciation, with median home values below the state benchmark. Monthly mortgage costs are reasonable. The broader Cornelia area is on an upward trajectory after years of downtown vacancy, with new infill housing, a greenway project, and planned civic improvements drawing residents and investment.

The school operates as a traditional public elementary within a small county system, with no specialized programs or magnet designation noted in available data. Staffing details, specific interventions, special education enrollment rates, and English learner population counts were not available for this school. A parent interested in understanding the academic pathway and support structures in more depth would want to speak directly with school leadership about reading and math instruction approaches, intervention programs, and any specialized services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 46% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 51% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 44% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 36% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 39% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 43% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median

Science

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 43% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median

Social studies

Grades 3-883%

School 83% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median

This schoolHabersham 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-income53%32 pp gap

Mathematics

Grades 3-8Lower-income28%Higher-income59%31 pp gap