Belair K-8 School, Augusta GA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Belair K-8 School

Belair K-8 School serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Augusta, drawing families from across the school's attendance zone in Richmond County. The school enrolls a moderate-sized population with representation across all K-8 grades, and more than half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic conditions of many Richmond County families.

The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic, White, and multiracial students. The school's setting in a city environment connects families to the broader Augusta context: a mixed-use city with a walkable downtown anchored by Broad Street, a major healthcare and government employment base anchored by Fort Eisenhower and Wellstar MCG Health, and active downtown growth that includes new multifamily housing and revitalized public spaces like the Broad Street Improvement Project.

Academically, Belair's state assessment results show proficiency rates well below what most families would hope for. In math, proficiency ranges from the mid-thirties in third and fourth grade down to below one in five by fifth grade. English language arts proficiency sits in the mid-twenties across tested grades. Science proficiency at fifth grade is around one in five. A social studies assessment from the prior year showed proficiency at a very low level. These results place the school above the midpoint of proficiency when compared to other districts in Richmond County, though the absolute levels suggest substantial academic challenges across the school.

Georgia state testing data is available only at the grade levels where the state administers assessments (grades 3 through 5 for math, ELA, and science; grade 8 for social studies), so the full picture of student learning across all K-8 grades cannot be drawn from state measures. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how it supports students in the grades where assessment data do not exist, and what internal measures the school uses to track progress.

The school operates within Richmond County's school system, which is undergoing a significant structural change. Starting in the 2026-27 school year, the district is consolidating and closing schools, redrawing attendance zones, and repurposing facilities. Under this Long-Range Facilities Master Plan, Belair K-8 will be transformed into an elementary school. This shift affects not only the current grade structure but also which students will feed into Belair going forward and where eighth-graders who attend now will be served in future years. The district is funding these capital changes through voter-approved sales tax without raising property taxes or adding debt, so families can expect that new or significantly updated buildings will become part of the district's infrastructure in the coming years.

The district chose to maintain a traditional school calendar rather than move to year-round schooling, preserving a full summer break for families.

Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with a median home value somewhat below the state average and rental costs that remain moderate relative to income. The unemployment rate and median household income in the broader region reflect a stable but working-class economy centered on healthcare, manufacturing, government, and military employment.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 337%

School 37% · District 21% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 21% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 19% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 19% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 425%

School 25% · District 21% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 26%

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 20% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 86%

School 6% · District 15% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolRichmond 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.