Heards Ferry ranks as Sandy Springs' top elementary school

Heards Ferry Elementary School earned the No. 21 spot among Georgia's 1,260 ranked public elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools rankings released Oct. 20.

That makes the Powers Ferry Road school the highest-rated of Sandy Springs' six public elementary schools. It scored 98.41 out of 100.

The next closest Sandy Springs school, Woodland Elementary on Spalding Drive, landed at No. 387 with a score of 69.34. The remaining four local schools ranked in the bottom half of the state: High Point Elementary at No. 517, Dunwoody Springs Elementary at No. 671, Lake Forest Elementary at No. 681 and Ison Springs Elementary at No. 695.

What drove the scores

Heards Ferry's numbers stand out. According to U.S. News, 89% of its students scored at or above the proficient level in math and 85% in reading. Those figures outpace both the Fulton County School System (FCS) district averages of 52% in math and 51% in reading, and the statewide averages of 41% in math and 39% in reading.

The school serves 699 students in pre-K through fifth grade with 51 full-time teachers, a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio and 11% economically disadvantaged students.

By contrast, Ison Springs and Lake Forest each enroll 100% economically disadvantaged students. Ison Springs posted 33% proficiency in both math and reading. Lake Forest posted 30% in math and 24% in reading.

How the rankings work

U.S. News ranked 46,713 elementary schools nationally at the state and district levels. There is no national ranking. The formula weighs four factors equally at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula measures raw scores. The other half factors in socioeconomic demographics.

The rankings use data from state education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education. Assessment data comes from the 2023-24 school year, according to U.S. News.

Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in a press release that the updated approach "gives families, educators and community leaders an even clearer view of academic achievement."

All six Sandy Springs elementary schools are part of FCS, the fourth-largest district in Georgia with a projected enrollment of about 85,000 students for 2026-27, according to the district's website. Superintendent Mike Looney leads the district.