Heard County

Public school district · Heard County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1302790

Heard County spent $13,632 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 60% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,981). Its 5 schools enrolled 2,220 students in 2024-25; 39.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,021 per student, up 2.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 90-94% (Georgia: 84.4%).

Spending per student among Georgia districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Heard County in enrollment (2,059 to 2,323 students) and Heard County itself.

Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Heard County, FY23Dublin City $17,579; Rabun County $16,978; Meriwether County $16,105; Brooks County $15,866; Jefferson County Schools $15,562; Bacon County $14,862; Oglethorpe County $13,653; Heard County $13,632; Candler County $12,651; Dade County $12,452; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k12k14k16k18kDublin City$17,579Rabun County$16,978Meriwether County$16,105Brooks County$15,866Jefferson County Schools$15,562Bacon County$14,862Oglethorpe County$13,653Heard County$13,632Candler County$12,651Dade County$12,452State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Heard County, FY23Dublin City $17,579; Rabun County $16,978; Meriwether County $16,105; Brooks County $15,866; Jefferson County Schools $15,562; Bacon County $14,862; Oglethorpe County $13,653; Heard County $13,632; Candler County $12,651; Dade County $12,452; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k12k14k16k18kDublin City$17,579Rabun County$16,978Meriwether County$16,105Brooks County$15,866Jefferson County Schools$15,562Bacon County$14,862Oglethorpe County$13,653Heard County$13,632Candler County$12,651Dade County$12,452State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Heard County, FY23Dublin City $17,579; Rabun County $16,978; Meriwether County $16,105; Brooks County $15,866; Jefferson County Schools $15,562; Bacon County $14,862; Oglethorpe County $13,653; Heard County $13,632; Candler County $12,651; Dade County $12,452; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k14k18kDublin City$17,579Rabun County$16,978Meriwether County$16,105Brooks County$15,866Jefferson County Schools$15,562Bacon County$14,862Oglethorpe County$13,653Heard County$13,632Candler County$12,651Dade County$12,452State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Heard County, FY23Dublin City $17,579; Rabun County $16,978; Meriwether County $16,105; Brooks County $15,866; Jefferson County Schools $15,562; Bacon County $14,862; Oglethorpe County $13,653; Heard County $13,632; Candler County $12,651; Dade County $12,452; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k14k18kDublin City$17,579Rabun County$16,978Meriwether County$16,105Brooks County$15,866Jefferson County Schools$15,562Bacon County$14,862Oglethorpe County$13,653Heard County$13,632Candler County$12,651Dade County$12,452State median, 1,000+ students $13,981

Where the money came from

$39,889,000 in revenue: 39.4% state, 47.4% local and 13.2% federal. Total spending including $4,462,000 of capital outlay was $35,056,000, or $15,971 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Heard County revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $15,713,000; Local $18,926,000; Federal $5,250,000; total $39,889,000.
  • State$15,713,000 39%
  • Local$18,926,000 47%
  • Federal$5,250,000 13%

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

2,195 students in 2022-23, 2,264 students in 2023-24, 2,220 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Heard County enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,195, 2023-24: 2,264, 2024-25: 2,22001k2k3k2022-232,1952023-242,2642024-252,220
Heard County enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,195, 2023-24: 2,264, 2024-25: 2,22001k2k3k2022-232,1952023-242,2642024-252,220
Heard County enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,195, 2023-24: 2,264, 2024-25: 2,22001k2k3k2022-232,1952023-242,2642024-252,220
Heard County enrollment by school year2022-23: 2,195, 2023-24: 2,264, 2024-25: 2,22001k2k3k2022-232,1952023-242,2642024-252,220

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-232,195148.914.7
2023-242,264152.514.8
2024-252,220159.213.9

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$9,280,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,228 per student

Heard County booked $9,280,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 149 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 $62,366 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 60 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$7,050,00076.0%
Special education$1,572,00016.9%
Vocational$376,0004.1%
Other programs$282,0003.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,889 in 2018-19, $4,175 in 2019-20, $4,162 in 2020-21, $3,949 in 2021-22, $4,228 in 2022-23.

Heard County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,889, 2019-20: $4,175, 2020-21: $4,162, 2021-22: $3,949, 2022-23: $4,22802k4k6k2018-19$3,8892019-20$4,1752020-21$4,1622021-22$3,9492022-23$4,228
Heard County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,889, 2019-20: $4,175, 2020-21: $4,162, 2021-22: $3,949, 2022-23: $4,22802k4k6k2018-19$3,8892019-20$4,1752020-21$4,1622021-22$3,9492022-23$4,228
Heard County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,889, 2019-20: $4,175, 2020-21: $4,162, 2021-22: $3,949, 2022-23: $4,22802k4k6k2018-19$3,8892019-20$4,1752020-21$4,1622021-22$3,9492022-23$4,228
Heard County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,889, 2019-20: $4,175, 2020-21: $4,162, 2021-22: $3,949, 2022-23: $4,22802k4k6k2018-19$3,8892019-20$4,1752020-21$4,1622021-22$3,9492022-23$4,228

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 Heard County scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 50% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtGeorgiaStudents tested
Reading and language arts47%39.6%1,060
Math50%37.4%1,078

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

90-94% of the 153 students in Heard 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtGeorgia
Four-year graduation rate90‑94%84.4%
Students in the class153134,822

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.

3 elementary schools, 1,092 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Heard Elementary School72214.2100.0%Schoolwide program
Centralhatchee Elementary School19010.497.9%Not Title I
Ephesus Elementary School18010.7100.0%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.

1 middle school, 456 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Heard County Middle School45615.287.3%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 high school, 672 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Heard County High School67215.680.7%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.

Arrow Academy Alternative School

School in Franklin; last listed in the 2024-25 NCES directory (closed); 18 students.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 and earlier directories: the last year each school was listed, its students and its teachers.

Contact Heard County

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 Heard County

  1. Georgia districts by spending per studentHeard County ranks 102 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,632).#102 of 169
  2. Every school district in GeorgiaHeard County is the number 128 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 2,195 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#128 of 227
  3. Candler CountyThe next larger Georgia district: 2,201 students in fall 2022, $12,651 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,651
  4. Brooks CountyThe next smaller Georgia district: 2,141 students in fall 2022, $15,866 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,866
  5. Compare Heard County with Candler CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Heard County High School, its largest high school672 students in 2024-25, 15.6 per teacher.672
  7. Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaHeard County spent $62,366 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$62,366
  8. 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 Heard County

  1. How many schools and students are in Heard County?
    5 schools were open in 2024-25 (3 elementary, 1 middle, 1 high), enrolling 2,220 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Heard County spend per student?
    $13,632 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 $14,021 per student, up 2.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Heard County's money come from?
    $39,889,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 39.4% state, 47.4% local and 13.2% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Heard County live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 354 of the 2,146 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 16.5%, 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.
  5. How much does Heard County spend on teacher salaries?
    $9,280,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,228 per student. Divided by the 149 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $62,366 per teacher, more than 60 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).
  6. How do students in Heard County do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Heard County scored proficient or above: 47% in reading and 50% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Heard County?
    90-94% of the 153 students in Heard 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.
  8. What is Heard County's NCES district ID?
    1302790. 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