The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Social studies. The lowest is 23% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Pulaski County Elementary School
Pulaski County Elementary School serves grades pre-K through fifth in Hawkinsville, a small county-seat town on the Ocmulgee River in Middle Georgia. The school is now part of a consolidated K-12 campus structure that houses all county grades together, a shift funded by state grant and local sales tax that reshaped how the district operates.
Enrollment is stable at a size typical for an elementary serving a rural county, with a student body that is evenly divided between Black and white students and includes a small Latino population and other groups. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic hardship across the school's catchment. The school draws from a community where major employers include Taylor Regional Hospital, the state prison, agriculture, and light manufacturing, and where many families work in healthcare, retail, or trades. The housing market in the 31036 zip code sits well below the state average, offering affordable entry for families, though the area's economic base reflects rural rather than suburban conditions.
Academic performance is a clear area of concern. On state assessments in 2024-25, proficiency in English language arts ran in the low to mid-thirties, while mathematics proficiency ranged from about half the third-grade students reaching proficiency down to roughly one-fifth of fifth graders. Science proficiency at fifth grade was similarly low. These results show a pattern of declining mastery as students move up through the grades, which is a meaningful signal that the school may need additional resources or instructional supports to help students build skills year to year. A parent considering this school would be wise to look closely at what academic supports or interventions are available and whether the school is actively addressing the drop-off in proficiency at upper elementary grades.
The school is located in a small town where civic life centers on a revitalized historic downtown with shops, restaurants, the Opera House, and parks along the river. Families in Hawkinsville are car-dependent; there is no public transit. The town sits at a highway intersection and has a long history in cotton trade and agriculture. Recent years have brought downtown streetscape improvements and a new city hall, along with state-funded housing development that will add residential stock by late 2025.
A parent should also know that the Pulaski County School District recently rolled back its property tax rate on schools, a meaningful reduction in school-related tax burden for homeowners in the district and one that factors into the overall cost of living here.
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