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6.0avg / 10

Polk County School District

School District · Cedartown, Georgia

Students: 7,893
Teachers (FTE): 568

Avg Rating

6.0

out of 10

Schools

11

6 elem, 2 mid, 2 high

Enrollment

7,893

Student-Teacher Ratio

13.9:1

How this district compares

Georgia rank

#125 of 179

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

-0.3

below Georgia avg

Per-pupil spending

$13,543

$585 vs Georgia median

District size

7,893 students

Much larger than Georgia median

The short answer

Polk County ranks #125 of 179 Georgia districts by overall school rating. Polk County's schools with real test data average 6.0/10 across 11 schools. Its top-rated schools are Youngs Grove Elementary School (7.7/10), Northside Elementary (7.0/10), and Cherokee Elementary School (6.6/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds
Youngs Grove Elementary School

Rates 7.7/10 despite 96% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.0 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Polk County schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Cedartown High School

STAAR proficiency rose +12.4 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Polk County schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Polk County

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (11 of 11). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Youngs Grove Elementary School7.7 / 10
2Northside Elementary7.0 / 10
3Cherokee Elementary School6.6 / 10
4Cedartown Middle School6.5 / 10
5Rockmart Middle School6.4 / 10
6Harpst Academy6.2 / 10
7Westside Elementary School5.9 / 10
8Rockmart High School5.2 / 10
9Van Wert Elementary School5.1 / 10
10Eastside Elementary School5.0 / 10

See all 11 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Polk County

Polk County is a Cedartown, Georgia school district serving 11 schools.The district educates 7,893 students with a student-teacher ratio of 13.9:1. District-level spending was $13,543 per student in fiscal year 2023 (NCES F-33).

With an average rating of 6.0/10, Polk County demonstrates solid academic performance.

The highest-rated school in the district is Youngs Grove Elementary School, which has a composite score of 7.7/10.

In standardized testing, Polk County students show an average math proficiency of 41.9% and ELA proficiency of 46.5%.

The district includes 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools.

District Map

Schools in Polk County, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency41.9%
School
State
Not reported
ELA Proficiency46.5%
School
State
Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Polk County with test data.

District Details

State
Georgia
City
Cedartown
Total Enrollment
7,893
Teachers (FTE)
568
District spending per student
$13,543NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate
19.8%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year
2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Polk County?

Polk County has 11 schools in total — 6 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Polk County?

The average composite rating for Polk County is 6.0/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.

What is the district spending per student in Polk County?

Polk County's district-level spending was $13,543 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Polk County?

The average student-teacher ratio in Polk County is 13.9:1.

What is the top-rated school in Polk County?

Youngs Grove Elementary School is the highest-rated school in Polk County with a composite score of 7.7/10.

What are the test scores in Polk County?

Across schools in Polk County with test data, the average math proficiency is 41.9% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 46.5%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Polk County compare to other districts in Georgia?

Polk County has an average school rating of 6.0/10 across 11 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Georgia by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools?

MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.

District Averages

Overall Rating
6.0/10
Math Proficiency
41.9%
ELA Proficiency
46.5%

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Other School Districts in GA

Compare Polk County with neighboring districts in the state.

See all districts in GA →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Georgia Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.

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