Jones 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.

Gray, Georgia - 7 schools

An equity score of 42/100 ranks Jones County #136 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,570 per pupil, Jones County ranks #156 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,157
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$12,570
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Jones County operates 7 public schools serving 5,157 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 middle, 1 high 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 Jones County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,570 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 29.7% local, 55.8% state, and 14.5% 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 42/100, ranked #136 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 1 of 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 561.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.0% White, 26.6% African American, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Mattie Wells Elementary School, with a diversity index of 59.1/100.

Its largest campus is Jones County High School, enrolling 1,614 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Clifton Ridge Middle School, at 482 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Jones County High School accounts for 31.3% of all Jones County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Jones 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

Jones County school enrollment varies 3.3× across entities

Jones County school enrollment ranges from 482 students (lowest) to 1,614 students (highest), a spread of 1,132 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

Jones County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 50.3% 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

Jones County student-counselor ratio is 561:1 — 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

Jones County chronic absenteeism rate is 20.6% — 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 Jones County is typically wider than the Jones 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?

14.5%
Federal
55.8%
State
29.7%
Local

Funding Equity

42
Equity Score
136 / 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 7 schools in Jones County.

White 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.1%
African American 26.6%
Multiracial 4.8%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 48.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Mattie Wells Elementary School 59.1
  2. 2 Clifton Ridge Middle School 55.5
  3. 3 Gray Elementary School 53.7
  4. 4 Jones County High School 51.7
  5. 5 Gray Station Middle School 42.5

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
561.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Jones County

School Enrollment
Jones County High School
1,614
Dames Ferry Elementary School
613
Gray Station Middle School
609
Turner Woods Elementary School
590
Mattie Wells Elementary School
584
Gray Elementary School
512
Clifton Ridge Middle School
482

How Jones County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Wayne County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Madison County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Carrollton City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Baldwin County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Harris County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded

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

Compare Jones 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 Jones County?

Jones County has 7 schools, including 1 high, 4 combined, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 5,157 students.

How much does Jones County spend per student?

Jones County spends $12,570 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #136 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Jones County?

Jones County students are 65.0% White, 26.6% African American, 3.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Jones County?

Jones County has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #136 out of 216 districts in Georgia.