Fayette has more than doubled the number of schools receiving a five-star (excellent) rating on the 2016 School Climate Star Rating report with no schools receiving less than a four-star (above average) rating, meaning they are fostering a positive and safe learning environment for students.

Of Fayette’s 24 schools, nine of them received a five-star rating compared to four last year. Schools earning five-star ratings are Bennett’s Mill Middle, J.C. Booth Middle, Cleveland Elementary, Fayetteville Elementary, Flat Rock Middle, Inman Elementary, Rising Starr Middle, Robert J. Burch Elementary, and Whitewater Middle. All other schools received four stars.

Only 15 percent of all schools in Georgia earned a five-star rating and 39.8 percent earned a four-star rating, according to the Georgia Department of Education.

Four criteria are used to determine the ratings: student disciplinary records; surveys filled out by parents, students, and faculty; school discipline incidents; and student attendance records. Schools receive ratings from one to five.

Fayette received a three and a half star rating for Financial Efficiency, placing it among the top school systems in the state. Over 60 percent of Georgia’s 180 school systems received a rating lower than three and a half stars.