Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, Augusta: admission and report card

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Sources: the Davidson Fine Arts website, the Richmond County School System’s school directory, School Zone and Bus Stop Locator and 2026-27 calendar (PDF), the GHSA’s 2026-27 region alignments, the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s 2025 School Grades data and the federal NCES school directory.

John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School is a Richmond County School System magnet school on 12th Street in downtown Augusta. It serves sixth through 12th grade, and students study drama, dance, visual art, music and creative writing alongside their academic classes, according to the district’s school page, which says the school was founded in 1981.

• Address: 615 12th St., Augusta, GA 30901
• Phone: 706-823-6924
• Grades: 6 to 12
• Website: davidson.rcboe.org

Who to call

• Davidson Fine Arts front office: 706-823-6924
• Apply: the district’s School Choice office; applications for 2027-28 open Nov. 1, 2026
• Register a new student: the district’s Registration Central, then the school
• Bus routes: the Transportation Department, 706-796-4777
• Richmond County School System central office: 706-826-1000

Principal

Principal Renee Kelly, according to the district’s school directory.

Enrollment and teachers

The state counted 755 students at Davidson in its 2025 School Grades data. The most recent federal figure, from the NCES directory for the 2023-24 school year, is 727 students and 69 full-time-equivalent teachers, about 10.5 students per teacher.

State report card

Davidson’s 2025 CCRPI single score was 96.8, according to the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement’s School Grades data. The single score for all Georgia public schools was 78.0 and for the Richmond County School System 63.8. The school’s single score was 97.1 in 2023, 98.9 in 2024 and 96.8 in 2025. The full report card, with subgroups and the parts of the score, is on the state’s Davidson Fine Arts report card.

CCRPI is the Georgia Department of Education’s “comprehensive school improvement, accountability, and communication platform,” according to GaDOE. The single score runs from 0 to 100 and is built from content mastery, progress, closing gaps and readiness, plus graduation rate for high schools. Georgia does not publish an A-to-F letter grade for schools in its 2025 data.

Georgia Milestones end-of-grade tests (grades 6-8), 2025, share of tested students at each of the two top levels:

Georgia Milestones end-of-course tests (high school), 2025, share of tested students at each of the two top levels:

The same data put 97.2% of eighth graders (Georgia: 56.4%) reading at or above grade level.

The four-year graduation rate for the class of 2025 was 100%, and the district said the school kept a 100% rate for the class of 2026 in a Sept. 28, 2026, release; the state rate was 88.5%.

Admission

Magnet schools have no attendance zone: students from anywhere in Richmond County apply through the district’s School Choice office. Applicants must live in Richmond County, take the district’s reading and math assessment and perform on grade level or higher, and for a competitive application should have an 80 final average in each subject, according to the district’s application requirements. Applications for the 2027-28 school year open Nov. 1, 2026, and the district holds open houses at its schools in November and December. Davidson adds an audition. Applicants who meet the academic screen are invited to audition, and after that screen, admission “is based solely on the audition performance,” according to the district. Middle school applicants take a general audition in music, dance, drama, visual arts and creative writing; high school applicants audition in creative writing and either take the general audition or ask for a solo audition. The early audition date for 2027-28 applicants is Friday, Feb. 12, 2027.

Sports and activities

Davidson plays in Region 4-AA for 2026-27, in Class AA, according to the GHSA’s region alignments, which list it among schools that do not play varsity football. The school’s athletics pages list flag football, golf, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball. Schedules and results: our Friday night football page and the scoreboard.

Calendar

From the district’s board-approved 2026-27 calendar (PDF):

• Thursday, Oct. 8: PowerUp asynchronous learning day; students learn on their own instead of in class
• Friday, Oct. 9: student holiday
• Oct. 12-13: fall break
• Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day holiday
• Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving holiday
• Dec. 23 to Jan. 5: Christmas and winter break; the second semester begins Thursday, Jan. 7
• April 5-12, 2027: spring break
• Wednesday, May 26, 2027: last day of school, early release

Bell times

The district’s School Zone and Bus Stop Locator lists school hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. for Davidson. Bus stop times for any address are in the same tool, and the Transportation Department answers questions at 706-796-4777.

More

• The school’s website
• The state’s report card for Davidson Fine Arts
• The district’s school directory, with every school’s principal, address and phone
• Every public school that serves Augusta, with zones and scores: our Augusta public schools guide
• District calendar, registration and the Board of Education: our Augusta schools guide

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Davidson serve?

Sixth through 12th grade. Admission is by application and audition; it has no attendance zone.

What is Davidson’s CCRPI score?

96.8 in 2025, according to the state’s School Grades data, against an average of 78.0 for Georgia public schools.

What time does Davidson start?

8:30 a.m., with dismissal at 3:25 p.m., according to the district’s School Zone and Bus Stop Locator.

Who is the principal of Davidson?

Renee Kelly, according to the Richmond County School System’s school directory on Oct. 6, 2026.