Burgess-Peterson Elementary School vs Heards Ferry Elementary School

Burgess-Peterson Elementary School holds a 0.7-point edge over Heards Ferry Elementary School in overall rating — 9.5/10 versus 8.8/10 — despite both schools serving PK–05 in Atlanta, Georgia. That gap translates into a dramatic state rank difference: Burgess-Peterson ranks #6 of 2,268 Georgia elementary schools, placing it in the top 0.3% statewide, while Heards Ferry ranks #94 of 2,268 — still a strong top-5% showing, but a clear tier below its crosstown counterpart.

The two schools split the academic ledger in opposite directions. Heards Ferry Elementary School scores higher on raw academic achievement — 9.6/10 versus 8.7/10 for Burgess-Peterson — a gap of 0.9 points that reflects higher baseline proficiency among its students. Burgess-Peterson counters with a growth score of 9.8/10 compared to Heards Ferry's 9.0/10, an 0.8-point difference indicating that Burgess-Peterson students are advancing at a faster rate regardless of where they start. Families weighing current test performance against accelerated year-over-year gains will find meaningful distance between these two numbers.

Demographically, the schools differ considerably. Burgess-Peterson Elementary School enrolls 568 students with 35% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch; Heards Ferry Elementary School enrolls 686 students with only 10% on FRL — a 25-percentage-point gap that signals substantially different socioeconomic compositions. Burgess-Peterson also carries a slightly lower student-teacher ratio: 13.2:1 versus Heards Ferry's 14.0:1, meaning roughly one additional student per teacher on average across classrooms.

Both schools cover the same grade span — PK through 5th grade — so families with children at any elementary age have equivalent access to full programming at either campus. The 12.9 miles separating them puts both within Atlanta's broader metro footprint, though commute time will vary meaningfully depending on neighborhood. Burgess-Peterson's combination of an elite state rank and top-tier growth score distinguishes it operationally from Heards Ferry, even as Heards Ferry maintains its own strong academic proficiency advantage.