Few midstate schools move off state’s priority list

Seventy-four schools have moved off the state’s Priority and Focus Schools lists, but only a few are from Middle Georgia.

The Georgia Department of Education made the announcement Tuesday, revealing that the number of schools on the lists is down from 243 in 2015-16 to 169. Priority Schools are the lowest-performing 5 percent of Title 1 schools, based on achievement data, and those with a graduation rate under 60 percent for two years in a row. The Focus Schools list is based on achievement gap data, and represents the lowest-performing 10 percent of Title 1 schools.

In Middle Georgia, Miller Elementary in Houston County was taken off the focus list, as well as Wells Elementary in Jones County and Wilkinson County Elementary. Bibb County had nine priority schools and three focus schools on the 2015-16 lists, but none moved off this year.

Peach County High School and Twiggs County High school are on the priority list, and Fort Valley Middle in Peach is a focus school. In Houston County, Huntington Middle School and Pearl Stephens Elementary remain on the focus list.

This story was originally published April 13, 2017 at 11:10 AM with the headline "Few midstate schools move off state’s priority list."