Ephesus Elementary School, Roopville GA

Original Research by School Decision on Ephesus Elementary School

Ephesus Elementary is a small rural school serving pre-K through fifth grade in Roopville, a historic, quiet town in the southern part of the region. The school enrolls a modest number of students, nearly all of whom are white, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. About a quarter of the student body lives below the poverty line within the immediate school community.

The school's recent state test results show proficiency rates below the midpoint across the subjects and grades where students take these assessments. In math, students in grades three, four, and five show proficiency rates ranging from about half to slightly under three-fifths. In English language arts, proficiency is lower, clustering around four out of every ten students. In the one science test administered, fifth graders show proficiency near the midpoint. These patterns suggest that a substantial portion of students are not yet meeting grade-level expectations in core subjects, particularly in reading and writing. A parent considering this school may want to look into how the school is targeting instruction in these areas and what interventions or support structures exist for students who are not proficient.

The town itself is a very small rural community of blue-collar character, built on properties of several acres each, with a historic core but limited street-level commerce or gathering spaces. There is no public transit system, and families depend on cars for all commuting. Most residents work in jobs outside Roopville, with the University of West Georgia and regional manufacturers in Carroll County serving as major employment anchors; Carrollton, the county seat, is roughly ten miles north. Housing prices are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, and most properties in the area are rural, with three-bedroom homes and larger homes on acreage available at typical market rates for the region. The school sits within the historic town center, a walking distance from the Roop House and other civic anchors, so families in central Roopville can access it without a drive, though the surrounding area is dispersed.

At the district level, Heard County voters approved a capital sales-tax referendum in 2023 designed to fund school facilities improvements, bus purchases, technology, and security equipment without requiring a property-tax increase. This multiYear infrastructure program is the kind of visible district commitment some families weigh when evaluating their local school system's direction.

Ephesus serves a tight-knit rural community where most students know one another and live within a few miles of school. It is not a high-performing school by state standards, and the test results warrant close conversation with the school about how it is supporting students who are below grade level, especially in reading and writing. For a family rooted in rural Roopville and committed to the community's character, it is the neighborhood elementary school; for a family shopping for strong academic performance, the data suggests looking further.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 46% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 14 pts above state median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 31% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 43% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 43% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 57% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median

Social studies

Grades 3-888%

School 88% · district not reported

▲ 4 pts above state median

This schoolHeard 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-income42%Higher-income20%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income64%19 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income39%Higher-income48%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income53%Higher-income50%3 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income71%21 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income54%Higher-income59%4 pp gap