Columbia County
Public school district · Columbia County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1301410
Columbia County spent $11,853 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 90% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,981). Its 29 schools enrolled 27,846 students in 2024-25; 44.9% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $12,689 per student, up 7.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 92% (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 Columbia County in enrollment (21,392 to 36,326 students) and Columbia County itself.
Where the money came from
$404,086,000 in revenue: 44.9% state, 48.2% local and 6.8% federal. Total spending including $35,902,000 of capital outlay was $382,493,000, or $13,178 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$181,607,000 45%
- Local$194,851,000 48%
- Federal$27,628,000 7%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
29,025 students in 2022-23, 28,854 students in 2023-24, 27,846 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 | 29,025 | 1820.2 | 15.9 |
| 2023-24 | 28,854 | 1823.1 | 15.8 |
| 2024-25 | 27,846 | 1734.4 | 16.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$125,216,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,314 per student
Columbia County booked $125,216,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,841 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 $68,004 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 88 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 | $91,147,000 | 72.8% |
| Special education | $16,765,000 | 13.4% |
| Vocational | $2,719,000 | 2.2% |
| Other programs | $14,585,000 | 11.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,738 in 2018-19, $3,964 in 2019-20, $4,055 in 2020-21, $4,195 in 2021-22, $4,314 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 Columbia County scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 52% 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 | 53% | 39.6% | 15,184 |
| Math | 52% | 37.4% | 15,426 |
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
92% of the 2,126 students in Columbia 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 | 92% | 84.4% |
| Students in the class | 2,126 | 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.
16 elementary schools, 11,860 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Ridge Elementary School | 1,060 | 15.5 | 39.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Baker Place Elementary | 958 | 15.3 | 31.6% | Not Title I |
| North Harlem Elementary School | 930 | 15.1 | 44.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Grovetown Elementary School | 908 | 13.9 | 54.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Parkway Elementary School | 795 | 15.5 | 13.3% | Not Title I |
| River Ridge Elementary | 789 | 16.1 | 18.3% | Not Title I |
| Stevens Creek Elementary School | 759 | 15.4 | 19.4% | Not Title I |
| Martinez Elementary School | 731 | 14.9 | 50.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Evans Elementary School | 730 | 15.1 | 32.1% | Not Title I |
| Euchee Creek Elementary School | 705 | 14.7 | 34.6% | Schoolwide program |
| Riverside Elementary School | 640 | 14.2 | 19.7% | Not Title I |
| Lewiston Elementary School | 614 | 14.4 | 24.1% | Not Title I |
The other 4 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Elementary School | 612 | 13.1 | 38.9% | Not Title I |
| Greenbrier Elementary School | 610 | 15.0 | 15.2% | Not Title I |
| Brookwood Elementary School | 559 | 12.7 | 48.8% | Schoolwide program |
| North Columbia Elementary School | 460 | 13.7 | 23.9% | Not Title I |
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.
8 middle schools, 6,816 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grovetown Middle School | 1,067 | 16.0 | 49.9% | Schoolwide program |
| Evans Middle School | 1,030 | 17.3 | 35.0% | Not Title I |
| Harlem Middle School | 1,025 | 16.3 | 36.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Columbia Middle School | 903 | 15.4 | 34.8% | Not Title I |
| Greenbrier Middle School | 853 | 16.5 | 14.3% | Not Title I |
| Stallings Island Middle School | 729 | 16.6 | 20.0% | Not Title I |
| Riverside Middle School | 711 | 15.8 | 18.3% | Not Title I |
| Lakeside Middle School | 498 | 12.8 | 48.6% | 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.
5 high schools, 9,170 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grovetown High School | 2,256 | 18.4 | 35.5% | Not Title I |
| Greenbrier High School | 1,935 | 19.4 | 13.2% | Not Title I |
| Lakeside High School | 1,861 | 17.6 | 24.1% | Not Title I |
| Evans High School | 1,800 | 18.0 | 31.2% | Not Title I |
| Harlem High School | 1,318 | 18.1 | 34.5% | Not Title I |
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.
One more school on file: small, closed or in an earlier directory
These records carry fewer federal fields than a full school page needs, so each is summarized here with what NCES reports.
South Columbia Elementary School
School in Martinez; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 456 students; 11.4 students per teacher.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.
Contact Columbia County
- Phone: (706) 541-0650
- Office: 4781 Hereford Farm Road, Evans, GA 30809
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 Columbia County
- Georgia districts by spending per studentColumbia County ranks 153 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($11,853).#153 of 169
- Every school district in GeorgiaColumbia County is the number 15 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 29,025 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#15 of 227
- Richmond CountyThe next larger Georgia district: 29,589 students in fall 2022, $13,883 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,883
- Hall County SchoolsThe next smaller Georgia district: 27,328 students in fall 2022, $13,074 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,074
- Compare Columbia County with Richmond CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Grovetown High School, its largest high school2,256 students in 2024-25, 18.4 per teacher.2,256
- Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaColumbia County spent $68,004 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$68,004
- 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 Columbia County
How many schools and students are in Columbia County?
29 schools were open in 2024-25 (16 elementary, 8 middle, 5 high), enrolling 27,846 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Columbia County spend per student?
$11,853 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 $12,689 per student, up 7.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Columbia County's money come from?
$404,086,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 44.9% state, 48.2% local and 6.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Columbia County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,451 of the 31,083 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 7.9%, 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 Columbia County spend on teacher salaries?
$125,216,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,314 per student. Divided by the 1,841 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $68,004 per teacher, more than 88 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 Columbia County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Columbia County scored proficient or above: 53% in reading and 52% 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 Columbia County?
92% of the 2,126 students in Columbia 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 Columbia County's NCES district ID?
1301410. 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