Dug Gap Elementary School, Dalton GA

Original Research by School Decision on Dug Gap Elementary School

Dug Gap Elementary serves early elementary through fifth grade in Dalton, a working industrial city in northwest Georgia known as the carpet manufacturing capital. The school sits on Dug Gap Road on the city's edge, serving a student body that is predominantly Hispanic or Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic results show below-state-average proficiency across tested grades and subjects. In math, proficiency ranges from the low forties across third, fourth, and fifth grade, with fourth grade particularly low. English language arts proficiency runs in the high thirties to low forties across the same grades. Science proficiency in fifth grade is in the mid-thirties. These numbers tell a parent the school is working with students who are not yet meeting state benchmarks at typical rates, and that reading, math, and science instruction need strengthening. When positioned against the other districts in Whitfield County, Dug Gap's overall proficiency index sits in the top quartile, a data point suggesting performance relative to its immediate peer group, though the absolute proficiency levels remain below where most schools operate.

The school's enrollment is small, just over 350 students spread across pre-K through fifth grade. Close to a fifth of the student body is white, roughly two-thirds is Hispanic, and the remainder is distributed among other groups. A very substantial share of students—around four-fifths—live in families meeting the federal income threshold for meal assistance. Specific data on how many students are English learners or receive special education services was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about language support and special needs capacity.

Dalton itself is a city in transition. The carpet industry, long its economic engine, remains dominant through manufacturers like Shaw and Mohawk, but the city has begun diversifying. Solar manufacturing at Carbondale Business Park and investments in healthcare and new residential development signal growth. Housing in the area is priced well below the state benchmark, making it relatively affordable for working families. Downtown Dalton has a historic district with brick sidewalks and reinvestment underway; outside that core, the city is car-dependent, with schools and major employers spread across separate corridors.

The Whitfield County Schools district has invested significantly through ESPLOST education sales tax funds, supporting renovations at eight elementary schools and a middle school, along with upgrades to safety and athletic facilities. Property taxes in the district have risen modestly in recent years after holding steady for over a decade. Two new middle schools have opened with modern security and amenities, though Dug Gap is an elementary building and outside that recent replacement cycle.

A parent considering Dug Gap should understand it as a school serving a high-need, low-income community where students are learning English and where academic proficiency lags state average. The school is small and located outside the downtown core. Its affordability and position within the county's peer group may fit a family looking for an established neighborhood school with proximity to Dalton's residential areas and industrial employment corridors. Whether the academic support meets a child's needs is something to discuss directly with the school, particularly around English learner services and interventions in reading and math.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 353%

School 53% · District 43% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 51% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 339%

School 39% · District 34% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Science

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 34% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-884%

School 84% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

This schoolWhitfield 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-income42%Higher-income67%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grades 3-8Lower-income51%Higher-income67%16 pp gap