Clarke County
Public school district · Clarke County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1301170
Clarke County spent $21,012 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 99% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,981). Its 21 schools enrolled 12,275 students in 2024-25; 28.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $22,545 per student, up 7.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 75% (Georgia: 84.4%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Georgia districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Clarke County in enrollment (10,610 to 14,047 students) and Clarke County itself.
Where the money came from
$289,467,000 in revenue: 28.3% state, 54.8% local and 16.8% federal. Total spending including $16,410,000 of capital outlay was $281,736,000, or $22,831 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$81,970,000 28%
- Local$158,743,000 55%
- Federal$48,754,000 17%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 169 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
12,340 students in 2022-23, 12,331 students in 2023-24, 12,275 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 12,340 | 1127.0 | 10.9 |
| 2023-24 | 12,331 | 1111.0 | 11.1 |
| 2024-25 | 12,275 | 1103.9 | 11.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$70,449,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $5,709 per student
Clarke County booked $70,449,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,221 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $57,712 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 28 in 100 Georgia districts with a figure (state median $60,911, 215 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Georgia teacher salary at $61,249 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $46,729,000 | 66.3% |
| Special education | $12,900,000 | 18.3% |
| Vocational | $1,780,000 | 2.5% |
| Other programs | $9,040,000 | 12.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,414 in 2018-19, $4,825 in 2019-20, $5,224 in 2020-21, $5,235 in 2021-22, $5,709 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Clarke County scored proficient or above: 28% in reading and 27% in math, against 39.6% in reading and 37.4% in math across Georgia. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Georgia, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Georgia | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 28% | 39.6% | 6,090 |
| Math | 27% | 37.4% | 6,353 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
75% of the 768 students in Clarke County's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.4% across Georgia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 75% | 84.4% |
| Students in the class | 768 | 134,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
14 elementary schools, 6,190 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitehead Road Elementary School | 632 | 9.6 | 99.1% | Schoolwide program |
| Gaines Elementary School | 568 | 11.3 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Timothy Elementary School | 565 | 10.6 | 68.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School | 563 | 10.1 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Chase Street Elementary School | 492 | 11.2 | 74.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Barnett Shoals Elementary School | 490 | 9.8 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Barrow Elementary School | 456 | 10.9 | 77.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Whit Davis Road Elementary School | 395 | 10.7 | 96.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Judia Jackson Harris Elementary | 392 | 9.7 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Fowler Drive Elementary School | 366 | 8.6 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Howard B. Stroud Elementary School | 350 | 8.3 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Winterville Elementary School | 343 | 9.3 | 93.6% | Schoolwide program |
The other 2 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alps Road Elementary School | 322 | 8.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Cleveland Road Elementary School | 256 | 8.0 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 middle schools, 2,631 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke Middle School | 718 | 11.3 | 83.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School | 707 | 11.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Hilsman Middle School | 624 | 11.0 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Coile Middle School | 582 | 10.5 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
3 high schools, 3,454 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke Central High School | 1,907 | 15.9 | 82.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Cedar Shoals High School | 1,489 | 13.6 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Classic City High School | 58 | 8.3 | 82.8% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Clarke County
- Website: clarke.k12.ga.us
- Phone: (706) 546-7721
- Office: 595 Prince Ave, Athens, GA 30601
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Clarke County
- Georgia districts by spending per studentClarke County ranks 2 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($21,012).#2 of 169
- Every school district in GeorgiaClarke County is the number 30 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 12,340 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#30 of 227
- Glynn CountyThe next larger Georgia district: 12,844 students in fall 2022, $14,966 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,966
- Whitfield CountyThe next smaller Georgia district: 12,317 students in fall 2022, $13,284 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,284
- Compare Clarke County with Glynn CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Clarke Central High School, its largest high school1,907 students in 2024-25, 15.9 per teacher.1,907
- Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaClarke County spent $57,712 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$57,712
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Clarke County
How many schools and students are in Clarke County?
21 schools were open in 2024-25 (14 elementary, 4 middle, 3 high), enrolling 12,275 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Clarke County spend per student?
$21,012 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Georgia median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,981 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $22,545 per student, up 7.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Clarke County's money come from?
$289,467,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 28.3% state, 54.8% local and 16.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Clarke County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 3,536 of the 15,193 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 23.3%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Clarke County spend on teacher salaries?
$70,449,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $5,709 per student. Divided by the 1,221 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $57,712 per teacher, more than 28 in 100 Georgia districts (state median $60,911). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Georgia teacher salary at $61,249 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Clarke County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Clarke County scored proficient or above: 28% in reading and 27% in math, against 39.6% in reading and 37.4% in math across Georgia. Georgia's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Clarke County?
75% of the 768 students in Clarke County's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.4% across Georgia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Clarke County's NCES district ID?
1301170. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25