Bolton Academy Elementary vs Burgess-Peterson Elementary School

Burgess-Peterson Elementary School edges Bolton Academy Elementary by 0.4 points overall — 9.5 versus 9.1 out of 10 — and that gap translates into a significant difference in statewide standing. Burgess-Peterson ranks #6 out of 2,268 Georgia elementary schools, placing it in the top 0.3% of the state. Bolton Academy, at #34 out of the same 2,268, still sits well inside the top 2% statewide. Both schools are high-performing options for Atlanta families, but Burgess-Peterson's position represents a meaningfully higher threshold.

Academic scores drive most of that overall difference. Burgess-Peterson Elementary School scores 8.7 out of 10 on academics, a full point above Bolton Academy Elementary's 7.7 — the widest gap between the two schools across any individual category. Growth scores, which track year-over-year student improvement independent of starting point, tell a different story: Burgess-Peterson posts a 9.8 and Bolton Academy a 9.6, both exceptional figures that signal each school accelerates its students effectively. The convergence on growth means Bolton Academy is not lagging in momentum; the divergence in academics reflects a stronger overall proficiency baseline at Burgess-Peterson.

Enrollment and classroom size are essentially a draw. Bolton Academy Elementary serves 557 students and Burgess-Peterson Elementary School serves 568 — a difference of 11 students. Student-teacher ratios are nearly identical, 13.3:1 at Bolton Academy versus 13.2:1 at Burgess-Peterson, so neither school has a structural advantage in classroom attention. The more meaningful demographic distinction is economic: 41% of Bolton Academy students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch compared to 35% at Burgess-Peterson, a 6-point gap indicating Bolton Academy serves a somewhat more economically diverse population.

Both schools cover the same grade span, pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, so families with children at any elementary level will find a full program at either campus. The two schools are 8.9 miles apart within Atlanta, which means choosing Burgess-Peterson over Bolton Academy — or vice versa — requires a deliberate cross-town decision rather than a neighborhood default. Families comparing commute against rank will weigh that distance against Burgess-Peterson's top-10 Georgia position and Bolton Academy's own top-35 standing.