Charlton County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Folkston, Georgia - 4 schools

An equity score of 51/100 ranks Charlton County #109 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,177 per pupil, Charlton County ranks #122 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,686
Total Enrollment
4
Schools
$13,177
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Charlton County operates 4 public schools serving 1,686 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Charlton County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,177 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Georgia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 31.7% local, 49.3% state, and 19.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 51/100, ranked #109 of 216 in Georgia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 471.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 22.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.8% White, 22.1% African American, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Folkston Elementary School, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.

Its largest campus is Folkston Elementary School, enrolling 545 students (34% of the district's total enrollment).

Folkston Elementary School accounts for 32.3% of all Charlton County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Charlton County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Charlton County school enrollment varies 2.8× across entities

Charlton County school enrollment ranges from 198 students (lowest) to 545 students (highest), a spread of 347 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio, most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Charlton County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.8% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch

free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Charlton County student-counselor ratio is 472:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Charlton County chronic absenteeism rate is 22.4% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Charlton County is typically wider than the Charlton County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

19.0%
Federal
49.3%
State
31.7%
Local

Funding Equity

51
Equity Score
109 / 216
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 4 schools in Charlton County.

White 66.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
African American 22.1%
Multiracial 7.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 45.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Charlton County's schools, below the Georgia average of 50.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Folkston Elementary School 60.2
  2. 2 Charlton County High School 57.4
  3. 3 Bethune Middle School 52.2
  4. 4 St. George Elementary School 12.5

Programs & Resources

471.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
22.4%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Charlton County

School Enrollment
Folkston Elementary School
545
Bethune Middle School
453
Charlton County High School
417
St. George Elementary School
198

How Charlton County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Early County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Lanier County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Atkinson County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Irwin County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Commerce City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Charlton County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Georgia

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Gwinnett County
181,814 students · 140 schools · $13,113/pupil
Compare vs Charlton County →
Cobb County
106,703 students · 110 schools · $13,203/pupil
Compare vs Charlton County →
Dekalb County
92,368 students · 131 schools · $15,594/pupil
Compare vs Charlton County →
Fulton County
89,935 students · 108 schools · $13,999/pupil
Compare vs Charlton County →
Forsyth County
54,077 students · 42 schools · $10,928/pupil
Compare vs Charlton County →

Compare Charlton County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Gwinnett County →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Charlton County?

Charlton County has 4 schools, including 2 combined, 1 elementary, 1 high. Total enrollment is 1,686 students.

How much does Charlton County spend per student?

Charlton County spends $13,177 per student. The district has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #109 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Charlton County?

Charlton County students are 66.8% White, 22.1% African American, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Charlton County?

Charlton County has an equity score of 51/100, ranking #109 out of 216 districts in Georgia.