Dawson County
Public school district · Dawson County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1301650
Dawson County spent $15,470 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 82% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,981). Its 7 schools enrolled 4,296 students in 2024-25; 29.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,412 per student, up 6.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 95% (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 Dawson County in enrollment (3,749 to 4,124 students) and Dawson County itself.
Where the money came from
$74,404,000 in revenue: 29.3% state, 63.9% local and 6.8% federal. Total spending including $7,037,000 of capital outlay was $67,639,000, or $17,317 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$21,826,000 29%
- Local$47,534,000 64%
- Federal$5,044,000 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 rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25
3,906 students in 2022-23, 4,069 students in 2023-24, 4,296 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 | 3,906 | 259.2 | 15.1 |
| 2023-24 | 4,069 | 272.3 | 14.9 |
| 2024-25 | 4,296 | 285.4 | 15.1 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$17,514,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,484 per student
Dawson County booked $17,514,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 259 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 $67,569 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 86 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 | $11,192,000 | 63.9% |
| Special education | $3,718,000 | 21.2% |
| Vocational | $884,000 | 5.0% |
| Other programs | $1,720,000 | 9.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $4,202 in 2018-19, $4,459 in 2019-20, $4,365 in 2020-21, $4,277 in 2021-22, $4,484 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 Dawson County scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 45% 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 | 45% | 39.6% | 1,948 |
| Math | 45% | 37.4% | 2,014 |
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
95% of the 236 students in Dawson 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 | 95% | 84.4% |
| Students in the class | 236 | 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.
4 elementary schools, 2,172 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson Elementary School | 648 | 15.5 | 43.2% | Schoolwide program |
| Black's Mill Elementary School | 570 | 15.0 | 36.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Riverview Elementary School | 493 | 12.7 | 47.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Kilough Elementary School | 461 | 14.5 | 42.7% | 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.
1 middle school, 641 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County Middle School | 641 | 15.9 | 44.5% | 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.
2 high schools, 1,483 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County High School | 880 | 15.5 | 34.0% | Not Title I |
| Dawson County Junior High | 603 | 15.9 | 41.6% | 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.
Contact Dawson County
- Phone: (706) 265-3246
- Office: 517 Allen Street, Dawsonville, GA 30534
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 Dawson County
- Georgia districts by spending per studentDawson County ranks 32 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,470).#32 of 169
- Every school district in GeorgiaDawson County is the number 82 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 3,906 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#82 of 227
- Burke CountyThe next larger Georgia district: 3,990 students in fall 2022, $19,444 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$19,444
- Peach CountyThe next smaller Georgia district: 3,866 students in fall 2022, $13,445 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,445
- Compare Dawson County with Burke CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Dawson County High School, its largest high school880 students in 2024-25, 15.5 per teacher.880
- Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaDawson County spent $67,569 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$67,569
- 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 Dawson County
How many schools and students are in Dawson County?
7 schools were open in 2024-25 (4 elementary, 1 middle, 2 high), enrolling 4,296 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Dawson County spend per student?
$15,470 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 $16,412 per student, up 6.1% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Dawson County's money come from?
$74,404,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 29.3% state, 63.9% local and 6.8% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Dawson County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 518 of the 4,935 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 10.5%, 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 Dawson County spend on teacher salaries?
$17,514,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,484 per student. Divided by the 259 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $67,569 per teacher, more than 86 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 Dawson County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Dawson County scored proficient or above: 45% in reading and 45% 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 Dawson County?
95% of the 236 students in Dawson 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 Dawson County's NCES district ID?
1301650. 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