Clayton 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.

Jonesboro, Georgia - 67 schools

An equity score of 35/100 ranks Clayton County #159 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,136 per pupil, Clayton County ranks #178 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

52,186
Total Enrollment
67
Schools
$12,136
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Clayton County operates 67 public schools serving 52,186 students, placing it among the larger districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 37 combined, 14 middle, 12 high, 4 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Clayton County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,136 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 33.4% local, 51.5% state, and 15.1% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 35/100, ranked #159 of 216 in Georgia against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 11 of 67 schools offering Advanced Placement (92 AP courses district-wide), a 442.5:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 66.8% African American, 25.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Morrow Elementary School, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.

Its largest campus is Morrow High School, enrolling 2,077 students (4% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is 7 Pillars Career Academy, at 226 students, a 9x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Clayton County school enrollment varies 9.2× across entities

Clayton County school enrollment ranges from 226 students (lowest) to 2,077 students (highest), a spread of 1,851 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Clayton County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 89.8% 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). Eligibility here is a supermajority of the population — well past the 75% concentration-grant threshold that unlocks extra funding 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

Clayton County student-counselor ratio is 443:1 — 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

Clayton County chronic absenteeism rate is 33.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

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

Where does the funding come from?

15.1%
Federal
51.5%
State
33.4%
Local

Funding Equity

35
Equity Score
159 / 216
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 67 schools in Clayton County.

White 1.3%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
African American 66.8%
Asian 2.9%
Multiracial 3.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 44.3/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Morrow Elementary School 66.3
  2. 2 Lake City Elementary School 63.2
  3. 3 Morrow Middle School 61.2
  4. 4 Forest Park High School 58.0
  5. 5 Haynie Elementary School 57.6

Programs & Resources

11 / 67
Schools with AP
92 AP courses total
442.5:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Clayton County

School Enrollment
Morrow High School
2,077
Lovejoy High School
2,049
Forest Park High School
1,711
Charles R. Drew High School
1,708
Mundy's Mill High School
1,665
Jonesboro High School
1,630
Eddie White Middle School
1,364
Riverdale High School
1,359
Mount Zion High School
1,232
North Clayton High School
1,124
Michelle Obama Stem Elementary Academy
1,048
Rex Mill Middle School
904
Jonesboro Middle School
895
M. D. Roberts Middle School
894
Perry Career Academy - Eula Wilburn Ponds Perry Center for
887
Babb Middle School
881
North Clayton Middle School
817
Hawthorne Elementary School
813
Thurgood Marshall Elementary School
801
Morrow Middle School
794
Haynie Elementary School
767
Sequoyah Middle School
765
Elite Scholars Academy School
757
Roberta T. Smith Elementary School
720
Church Street Elementary School
706
James Jackson Elementary School
696
Pointe South Middle School
693
Harper Elementary School
690
Mundys Mill Middle School
687
Callaway Elementary School
677
Brown Elementary School
671
William M. Mcgarrah Elementary School
658
River's Edge Elementary School
652
East Clayton Elementary School
641
Kilpatrick Elementary School
637
Kemp Primary
626
Mount Zion Primary
620
Kendrick Middle School
619
Northcutt Elementary School
618
Huie Elementary School
594
Forest Park Middle School
593
Suder Elementary School
592
Kemp Elem School
586
Tara Elementary School
570
Riverdale Middle School
560
Riverdale Elementary School
559
Swint Elementary School
544
Kay R Pace Elementary School of the Arts
518
Martin Luther King- Jr. Elementary School
516
Lee Street Elementary School
515
Adamson Middle School
509
Pointe South Elementary School
508
Lake Ridge Elementary School
498
Martha Ellen Stilwell School for the Performing Arts
494
Mount Zion Elementary School
491
Lake City Elementary School
479
West Clayton Elementary School
464
Arnold Elementary School
454
Oliver Elementary School
452
Fountain Elementary School
437
Edmonds Elementary School
426
Anderson Elementary School
420
Morrow Elementary School
406
Unidos Dual Language School
394
Utopian Academy for the Arts Elementary School
Charter
317
Utopian Academy for the Arts High School
Charter
291
7 Pillars Career Academy
Charter
226

How Clayton County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Atlanta Public Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Forsyth County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Henry County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Cherokee County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Savannah-Chatham County Smaller Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Clayton 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 Clayton County →
Cobb County
106,703 students · 110 schools · $13,203/pupil
Compare vs Clayton County →
Dekalb County
92,368 students · 131 schools · $15,594/pupil
Compare vs Clayton County →
Fulton County
89,935 students · 108 schools · $13,999/pupil
Compare vs Clayton County →
Forsyth County
54,077 students · 42 schools · $10,928/pupil
Compare vs Clayton County →

Compare Clayton 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 Clayton County?

Clayton County has 67 schools, including 12 high, 14 middle, 37 combined, 4 elementary. Total enrollment is 52,186 students.

How much does Clayton County spend per student?

Clayton County spends $12,136 per student. The district has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #159 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Clayton County?

Clayton County students are 66.8% African American, 25.4% Hispanic or Latino, 2.9% Asian, 1.3% White, averaged across 67 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Clayton County?

Clayton County has an equity score of 35/100, ranking #159 out of 216 districts in Georgia.