Effingham 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.

Springfield, Georgia - 13 schools

An equity score of 24/100 ranks Effingham County #198 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,725 per pupil, Effingham County ranks #185 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

14,047
Total Enrollment
13
Schools
$11,725
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Effingham County operates 13 public schools serving 14,047 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 8 combined, 3 middle, 2 high schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly 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 Effingham County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,725 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 34.1% local, 52.1% state, and 13.8% 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 24/100, ranked #198 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 2 of 13 schools offering Advanced Placement (28 AP courses district-wide), a 738.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 61.4% White, 17.1% African American, 12.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Rincon Elementary School, with a diversity index of 65.9/100.

Its largest campus is Effingham County High School, enrolling 2,199 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Marlow Elementary School, at 670 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Effingham County High School accounts for 15.1% of all Effingham County student enrollment

That concentration means Effingham County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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

Effingham County school enrollment varies 3.3× across entities

Effingham County school enrollment ranges from 670 students (lowest) to 2,199 students (highest), a spread of 1,529 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

Effingham County student-counselor ratio is 739:1 — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 Values this far above typical often signal acute resource constraints or a structurally different scale than most peers — worth reading alongside the underlying counts, not the ratio alone.

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

Effingham County chronic absenteeism rate is 18.0% — 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 Effingham County is typically wider than the Effingham 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?

13.8%
Federal
52.1%
State
34.1%
Local

Funding Equity

24
Equity Score
198 / 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 13 schools in Effingham County.

White 61.4%
Hispanic or Latino 12.6%
African American 17.1%
Asian 1.9%
Multiracial 6.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 56.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Rincon Elementary School 65.9
  2. 2 Blandford Elementary School 65.6
  3. 3 Ebenezer Middle School 60.6
  4. 4 Effingham County High School 59.6
  5. 5 South Effingham Elementary School 59.1

Programs & Resources

2 / 13
Schools with AP
28 AP courses total
738.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.0%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Effingham County

School Enrollment
Effingham County High School
2,199
South Effingham High School
1,906
South Effingham Middle School
1,161
Effingham County Middle School
1,150
Ebenezer Middle School
1,039
Rincon Elementary School
1,033
Ebenezer Elementary School
995
Blandford Elementary School
987
Sand Hill Elementary School
881
Springfield Elementary School
876
South Effingham Elementary School
863
Guyton Elementary School
800
Marlow Elementary School
670

How Effingham County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Bartow County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Walton County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Barrow County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Dougherty County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Glynn County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Effingham 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 Effingham County?

Effingham County has 13 schools, including 2 high, 3 middle, 8 combined. Total enrollment is 14,047 students.

How much does Effingham County spend per student?

Effingham County spends $11,725 per student. The district has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #198 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Effingham County?

Effingham County students are 61.4% White, 17.1% African American, 12.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.9% Asian, averaged across 13 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Effingham County?

Effingham County has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #198 out of 216 districts in Georgia.