1
What's the vibe like in the hallways at Dames Ferry Elementary School right now?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
613
Elementary
DISTRICT 575 · STATE 605
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·JONES COUNTY·NCES 130315002272
Dames Ferry Elementary School
545 Ga Highway 18 W, Gray, GA 31032 · (478) 986-2023 · Jones County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL613 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
15.3:1
40 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.6:1 · STATE 13.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
40%
244 students
DISTRICT 43% · STATE 74%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 66 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 96 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 82 | 13% |
| Grade 2 | 86 | 14% |
| Grade 3 | 114 | 19% |
| Grade 4 | 86 | 14% |
| Grade 5 | 83 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (96) is 16% larger than its 5th grade class (83).
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 50% · STATE 71% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
Georgia Milestones 2024-25 . % Proficient or DistinguishedEnglish Language Arts
48.7%
GA avg 40.1% . +5.2pp since 2021
Math
54.6%
GA avg 44.6% . +6.3pp since 2021
What this means: On the Georgia Milestones, Georgia's statewide test, about 49 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 55 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Georgia schools, those numbers are about 40 and 45. Reading and writing scores are up about 5 points since 2021, while math scores are up about 6 points.
Georgia Milestones results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 48.7% | 54.6% |
| 2023-24 | 51.8% | 60.0% |
| 2022-23 | 44.7% | 50.2% |
| 2021-22 | 43.5% | 48.3% |
% Proficient or Distinguished, all students and all tested grades.
Source: Georgia Milestones. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
56.1%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
56.8%
based on GA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-0.7pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 56% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 57% typical for Georgia schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Georgia's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Dames Ferry Elementary School
Dames Ferry Elementary School's state test result (56.1% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dames Ferry Elementary School this school | 613 | 39.8% | 56.1% |
| Providence Elementary School Temple | 557 | 42.0% | 54.2% |
| Turner Woods Elementary School Gray | 590 | 35.1% | 56.2% |
| Kings Chapel Elementary School Perry | 690 | 43.6% | 60.2% |
| Eastside Elementary School Senoia | 602 | 33.9% | 56.3% |
| Boynton Elementary School Ringgold | 580 | 38.6% | 47.4% |
Matched among Georgia elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Dames Ferry Elementary School ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In Georgia |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 56.1% | #247 of 1,208 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 54.6% | #326 of 1,215 ▼ 72 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 48.7% | #292 of 1,215 ▼ 6 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +5.8pp | #334 of 1,183 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 613 | #565 of 1,324 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.3:1 | #1,155 of 1,301 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.8% | #994 of 1,301 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 39.8% | #1,120 of 1,312 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -5.3% | #700 of 854 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
613
-14 (-2%) vs 2020
-22% since 2000-01, when it was 785
Student : Teacher
15.3:1
was 14.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 613 | 40 | 15.3:1 | 40% (244) |
| 2023-24 | 586 | 41 | 14.3:1 | 59% (343) |
| 2022-23 | 584 | 39.6 | 14.8:1 | 46% (269) |
| 2020-21 | 627 | 43 | 14.6:1 | 44% (277) |
| 2017-18 | 647 | 42.8 | 15.1:1 | 42% (269) |
| 2015-16 | 648 | 44 | 14.7:1 | 42% (271) |
| 2010-11 | 725 | 44 | 16.5:1 | 35% (251) |
| 2000-01 | 785 | 37 | 21.2:1 | 26% (202) |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Dames Ferry Elementary School.
Since 2017-18: students down 5% (647 to 613); teachers down 7% (42.8 to 40).
About Dames Ferry Elementary School
Dames Ferry Elementary School is a medium-sized elementary school in Gray, Georgia, administered by Jones County. Enrolled students number 613 students, in pre-K through 5.
Enrollment across the 7 schools in Jones County totals 5,004 students.
White students make up a majority at Dames Ferry Elementary School, at 78%. The remaining shares are 13% Black, 5% multiracial, and 3% Hispanic. Dames Ferry Elementary School's diversity index is 37%, against a US figure of 70%.
The school reported 40 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25 and a ratio of 15.3:1. The school has more students per teacher than the 13.3:1 average for elementary schools in Georgia. Eligible students account for 40% of enrollment in the free or reduced-price lunch program. That tracks the 41% average for public schools in Jones County.
The BeatsExpectations prediction for Dames Ferry Elementary School is 56.8%, and its average proficiency rate on state tests is 56.1%.
Jones County census figures show that the median household income is $75,500, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 20% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 7%. Jones County is home to 7 public schools and about 5,004 public school students.
Of nearby public schools, Jones County High School is the closest, at about 4.2 miles. In all, 3 other public schools sit within five miles of Dames Ferry Elementary School. On proficiency, Dames Ferry Elementary School is ahead of the 41.3% nearby average, ranking 2nd of 8.
Dames Ferry Elementary School is in rural territory some distance from an urban area, a location NCES labels Rural: Distant.
Dames Ferry Elementary School had 627 students in 2020-21 and 613 in 2024-25, nearly the same.
Community posts for Dames Ferry Elementary School can cover enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Jones County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
28,673
Census ACS
Median income
$75,500
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
20%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
7
5,004 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Jones County
- Jones County High SchoolHigh · 1,614 students
- Gray Station Middle SchoolMiddle · 609 students
- Turner Woods Elementary SchoolElementary · 590 students
- Mattie Wells Elementary SchoolElementary · 584 students
- Gray Elementary SchoolElementary · 512 students
- Clifton Ridge Middle SchoolMiddle · 482 students
Other schools in Gray
- Jones County High SchoolHigh · 1,614 students
- Gray Station Middle SchoolMiddle · 609 students
- Turner Woods Elementary SchoolElementary · 590 students
- Gray Elementary SchoolElementary · 512 students
Nearby schools
- Jones County High School4.2 mi · 1,614
- Gray Station Middle School4.4 mi · 609
- Gray Elementary School4.8 mi · 512
- Turner Woods Elementary School6.3 mi · 590
- Clifton Ridge Middle School7.4 mi · 482
- Mattie Wells Elementary School7.8 mi · 584
Frequently asked questions
About Dames Ferry Elementary SchoolHow large is Dames Ferry Elementary School?
Dames Ferry Elementary School enrolls approximately 613 students in grades PK-05.
Is Dames Ferry Elementary School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Dames Ferry Elementary School is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dames Ferry Elementary School?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Dames Ferry Elementary School is approximately 15.3:1 (40 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Dames Ferry Elementary School?
Student demographics at Dames Ferry Elementary School are roughly 78% White, 3% Hispanic, 13% Black, 0% Asian, 5% Two or more.
What district is Dames Ferry Elementary School in?
Dames Ferry Elementary School is part of Jones County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.