Marion 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.

Buena Vista, Georgia - 2 schools

An equity score of 49/100 ranks Marion County #114 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,249 per pupil, Marion County ranks #115 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

1,279
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$13,249
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Marion County operates 2 public schools serving 1,279 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined 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 Marion County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,249 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 24.5% local, 47.4% state, and 28.2% 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 #114 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 1 of 2 schools offering Advanced Placement (4 AP courses district-wide), a 435.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.2% White, 31.1% African American, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Marion County Middle/High School, enrolling 687 students (53% of the district's total enrollment).

Marion County Middle/High School accounts for 53.1% of all Marion County student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Marion County a distant remainder — means Marion 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

Marion County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 82.5% 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 — including this one — 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

Marion County student-counselor ratio is 435:1 — 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

Marion County chronic absenteeism rate is 18.8% — 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 Marion County is typically wider than the Marion 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?

28.2%
Federal
47.4%
State
24.5%
Local

Funding Equity

49
Equity Score
114 / 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 2 schools in Marion County.

White 48.2%
Hispanic or Latino 15.9%
African American 31.1%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 3.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

1 / 2
Schools with AP
4 AP courses total
435.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.8%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Marion County

School Enrollment
Marion County Middle/High School
687
L. K. Moss Elementary School
606

How Marion County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Chickamauga City Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Wilkes County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Mitchell County Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Clinch County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
State Charter Schools- Dubois Integrity Academy Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Marion 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 Marion County?

Marion County has 2 schools, including 2 combined. Total enrollment is 1,279 students.

How much does Marion County spend per student?

Marion County spends $13,249 per student. The district has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #114 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Marion County?

Marion County students are 48.2% White, 31.1% African American, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Marion County?

Marion County has an equity score of 49/100, ranking #114 out of 216 districts in Georgia.