Deer Chase Elementary School

Deer Chase Elementary School is an average-sized elementary school in Hephzibah, Georgia, overseen by Richmond County. The school hosts 555 students in grades pre-K through 5.

Within Richmond County, which oversees 52 schools and 30,573 students, Deer Chase Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, Deer Chase Elementary School reports that nearly all students (87%) are Black; the rest breaks down as 6% Hispanic, 4% multiracial. That is meaningfully more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 56%.

Looking at the economic backdrop, The school currently runs with 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 13.4:1. The state averages about 13.3:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. About 100% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Deer Chase Elementary School performs roughly as the BeatsExpectations model predicts for a school with this FRL share. The predicted value is around 25.7%, the actual is 19.9%, a residual of -5.8 points.

In the surrounding community, Richmond County reports that median household income runs about $55,637, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 17% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Richmond County's 58 public schools (combined enrollment of about 31,674 students), Deer Chase Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Diamond Lakes Elementary School, roughly 1.3 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Deer Chase Elementary School at 2nd of 9; the average score across the group is 17.5%.

The school occupies an inner-city site.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count showed little movement: 550 students in 2018 compared to 555 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 93% to 87% across the same window. Class-load math has fell: from 15.7:1 in 2018 to 13.4:1 in 2025.

Inside the community feed, recent activity here tends to focus on classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. Members of the school community can share what they know.