S.l. Mason Elementary School, Valdosta GA

Original Research by School Decision on S.l. Mason Elementary School

S.L. Mason Elementary serves about nine hundred students in prekindergarten through fifth grade within Valdosta City Schools. The student body is predominantly Black, with substantial shares of white and Hispanic enrollment and smaller numbers of Asian and multiracial students. All students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, indicating economic hardship across the school's intake.

State test results show persistent academic weakness. In English language arts, proficiency across tested grades reaches only about one-fifth overall, though fifth grade pulls higher. Fourth grade ELA results are particularly low. Math proficiency sits in a similar range, hovering around one-fifth across the upper elementary grades, with a modest gain in fifth grade. Science proficiency at fifth grade reaches about one-third. The school's combined proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the three districts in Lowndes County. The assessment data points to significant gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy skills that widen as students progress through the elementary grades.

As an early elementary school, Mason does not produce a graduation rate or measure chronic absenteeism, so those outcomes do not apply. The school's enrollment spans the full primary and early elementary band, with roughly balanced enrollment in each grade and a small prek cohort.

Valdosta itself is a mixed-use small city and regional retail hub, organized around a historic downtown with governmental, cultural, and retail anchors alongside Valdosta State University. Major employers include Moody Air Force Base, the university, South Georgia Medical Center, and industrial operations in an adjacent park. The city is experiencing active growth in housing development and new industrial investment, though a recognized housing shortage persists. Publicly reported, the housing market in the Valdosta zipcode shows values below both the state and national benchmarks, while rental costs have risen modestly year-over-year. The affordability profile is mixed, with mortgage payments as a share of income slightly above the national median and rent as a share of income below the national median.

Valdosta City Schools recently discontinued its Early College Academy effective mid-2026, redirecting advanced and accelerated pathways including STEM, honors, AP, dual enrollment, and the IB Programme into students' home middle and high school campuses and the district's virtual academy. The district is funded in part by a county-wide education sales tax approved by voters in 2023 and earmarked for school replacement and construction, HVAC repair, instructional technology, and equipment across both Valdosta City and Lowndes County schools.

The school sits in a city context with civic resources including public parks, a regional library system, downtown mixed-use redevelopment, and a microtransit service. For families considering S.L. Mason, the early elementary grades and full-day prekindergarten option provide entry points. The persistent academic gaps in literacy and math, evident from state testing and widening through the grades, may be a parent's question to explore further with the school, particularly if a student has not yet built strong foundational skills. The school serves a fully economically disadvantaged enrollment in a growing community with active neighborhood and infrastructure investment.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 23% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 418%

School 18% · District 26% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 23% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 16% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 18% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 26% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 532%

School 32% · District 27% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grades 3-886%

School 86% · district not reported

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

This schoolValdosta City, 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.