Hancock 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.

Sparta, Georgia - 3 schools

An equity score of 78/100 ranks Hancock County #16 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $22,858 per pupil, Hancock County ranks #4 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

703
Total Enrollment
3
Schools
$22,858
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Hancock County operates 3 public schools serving 703 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Hancock County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $22,858 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the top 22 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending. See how Georgia compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 42.2% local, 29.0% state, and 28.8% 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 78/100, ranked #16 of 216 in Georgia against a state average of 50, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

a 190.7:1 student-counselor ratio, that meets the ASCA-recommended benchmark, and 45.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 93.7% African American, 2.6% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Lewis Elementary School, with a diversity index of 14.7/100.

Its largest campus is Lewis Elementary School, enrolling 293 students (45% of the district's total enrollment).

Lewis Elementary School accounts for 41.7% of all Hancock County student enrollment

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

Hancock County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 100.0% 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

Hancock County student-counselor ratio is 191:1 — low (typically associated with meeting or exceeding the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommended 250:1 benchmark, which correlates with stronger college and career counseling capacity)

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 Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.

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

Hancock County chronic absenteeism rate is 45.7% — well above typical (typically associated with unusually large scale or acute resource constraints)

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 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 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

28.8%
Federal
29.0%
State
42.2%
Local

Funding Equity

78
Equity Score
16 / 216
State Rank
50
State Average

This district scores well on funding equity, with balanced funding sources and good resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 3 schools in Hancock County.

White 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
African American 93.7%
Multiracial 2.3%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 12.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Lewis Elementary School 14.7
  2. 2 Hancock Central High School 11.5
  3. 3 Hancock Central Middle School 9.7

Programs & Resources

190.7:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
45.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Hancock County

School Enrollment
Lewis Elementary School
293
Hancock Central High School
199
Hancock Central Middle School
160

How Hancock County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Twiggs County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
State Charter Schools- Scintilla Charter Academy Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
State Charter Schools Ii- Atlanta Heights Charter School Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Miller County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Warren County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Hancock 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 Hancock County?

Hancock County has 3 schools, including 1 combined, 1 high, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 703 students.

How much does Hancock County spend per student?

Hancock County spends $22,858 per student. The district has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #16 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Hancock County?

Hancock County students are 93.7% African American, 2.6% White, 1.3% Hispanic or Latino, averaged across 3 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Hancock County?

Hancock County has an equity score of 78/100, ranking #16 out of 216 districts in Georgia.