Eight Bulloch County schools have been selected among Georgia's top performing schools, with three being recognized in two categories.

According to a release from Bulloch County Schools, the Georgia Department of Education released both its 2025 lists of Title I Distinguished and Reward Schools and its Literacy and Math Leaders Schools. Among them are Brooklet, Julia P. Bryant, Mattie Lively, Nevils and Portal elementary schools, plus Southeast Bulloch Middle, William James Middle and Portal Middle High School. Mattie Lively, Nevils and Southeast Bulloch Middle each received honors on two state lists.

Distinguished Schools

Brooklet and Nevils were designated as Title I Distinguished Schools. These are schools which are among the highest-performing 5% of Title I schools in the state based on the combined English language arts and math content mastery scores from the most recent statewide assessments, the Georgia Milestones Assessment System.

Reward Schools

Mattie Lively and Julia P. Bryant were designated as Title I Reward Schools. These are schools which are among the most-improved 5% when comparing the content mastery scores from the most recent two years of statewide assessment data.

For these two honors, schools must be a Title I school to be eligible. All of the schools in the Bulloch County Schools system are Title I schools except Statesboro High and Southeast Bulloch High.

Literacy Leader Schools

Nevils and Portal and Southeast Bulloch Middle were designated as Literacy Leader Schools.

Math Leader Schools

Mattie Lively, Portal Middle High School and Southeast Bulloch and William James middle schools were designated as Math Leader Schools. This is the second year in a row that Southeast Bulloch Middle received the honor.

"The Georgia Department of Education recognizes schools that demonstrate exceptional achievement or growth in reading and mathematics," The release stated.

The designations are based on achievement for the 2024-2025 school year. The Literacy Leader and Math Leader honors celebrate schools that demonstrate extraordinary student progress and proficiency. Schools are recognized for achievement, growth or both on annual end-of-grade or end-of-course assessments. 

The criteria recognize the importance of grade-level reading in third and sixth grades and numeracy skills in fifth and eighth grades, and require higher growth from schools with lower achievement levels.