Gordon 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.

Calhoun, Georgia - 10 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Gordon County #112 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,413 per pupil, Gordon County ranks #106 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,421
Total Enrollment
10
Schools
$13,413
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Gordon County operates 10 public schools serving 6,421 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 combined, 2 high, 2 middle 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 Gordon County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,413 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Georgia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 32.6% local, 46.6% state, and 20.8% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 49/100, ranked #112 of 216 in Georgia against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 10 schools offering Advanced Placement (8 AP courses district-wide), a 488.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 33.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 73.0% White, 20.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Belwood Elementary School, with a diversity index of 52.9/100.

Its largest campus is Sonoraville High School, enrolling 1,094 students (17% of the district's total enrollment).

Sonoraville High School accounts for 17.0% of all Gordon County student enrollment

That concentration means Gordon 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

Gordon County school enrollment varies 3.0× across entities

Gordon County school enrollment ranges from 366 students (lowest) to 1,094 students (highest), a spread of 728 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

Gordon County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.3% 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). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants 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

Gordon County student-counselor ratio is 488:1 — 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

Gordon County chronic absenteeism rate is 33.7% — 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?

20.8%
Federal
46.6%
State
32.6%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
112 / 216
State Rank
50
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 10 schools in Gordon County.

White 73.0%
Hispanic or Latino 20.2%
African American 2.3%
Asian 0.9%
Multiracial 3.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 40.9/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Belwood Elementary School 52.9
  2. 2 Gordon Central High School 51.5
  3. 3 Ashworth Middle School 49.6
  4. 4 Tolbert Elementary School 46.3
  5. 5 Swain Elementary School 42.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 10
Schools with AP
8 AP courses total
488.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
33.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Gordon County

School Enrollment
Sonoraville High School
1,094
Gordon Central High School
875
Red Bud Middle School
786
Sonoraville Elementary
584
Ashworth Middle School
578
Red Bud Elementary School
547
Belwood Elementary School
530
Tolbert Elementary School
528
Swain Elementary School
371
Fairmount Elementary School
366

How Gordon County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Laurens County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
State Charter Schools- Georgia Connections Academy Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Lee County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Rome City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Ware County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Gordon 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 Gordon County?

Gordon County has 10 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 6 combined. Total enrollment is 6,421 students.

How much does Gordon County spend per student?

Gordon County spends $13,413 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #112 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Gordon County?

Gordon County students are 73.0% White, 20.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.3% African American, 0.9% Asian, averaged across 10 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Gordon County?

Gordon County has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #112 out of 216 districts in Georgia.