Mcduffie 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.

Thomson, Georgia - 6 schools

An equity score of 63/100 ranks Mcduffie County #66 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,811 per pupil, Mcduffie County ranks #87 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

3,272
Total Enrollment
6
Schools
$13,811
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Mcduffie County operates 6 public schools serving 3,272 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 combined, 2 elementary, 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 Mcduffie County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,811 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 34.3% local, 47.6% state, and 18.1% 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 63/100, ranked #66 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 6 schools offering Advanced Placement (6 AP courses district-wide), a 427.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 29.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 59.0% African American, 29.4% White, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dearing Elementary School, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.

Its largest campus is Thomson High School, enrolling 962 students (31% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Norris Elementary School, at 287 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Thomson High School accounts for 29.4% of all Mcduffie County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Mcduffie 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

Mcduffie County school enrollment varies 3.4× across entities

Mcduffie County school enrollment ranges from 287 students (lowest) to 962 students (highest), a spread of 675 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

Mcduffie County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 89.9% 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

Mcduffie County student-counselor ratio is 428:1 — 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

Mcduffie County chronic absenteeism rate is 29.7% — 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 Mcduffie County is typically wider than the Mcduffie 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?

18.1%
Federal
47.6%
State
34.3%
Local

Funding Equity

63
Equity Score
66 / 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 6 schools in Mcduffie County.

White 29.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 59.0%
Multiracial 6.0%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 51.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Mcduffie County's schools, about the same as the Georgia average of 50.0.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Dearing Elementary School 59.5
  2. 2 Thomson-Mcduffie Middle School 55.9
  3. 3 Thomson High School 53.6
  4. 4 Maxwell Elementary School 48.7
  5. 5 Thomson Elementary School 46.6

Programs & Resources

1 / 6
Schools with AP
6 AP courses total
427.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
29.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Mcduffie County

School Enrollment
Thomson High School
962
Thomson-Mcduffie Middle School
667
Maxwell Elementary School
436
Dearing Elementary School
414
Thomson Elementary School
322
Norris Elementary School
287

How Mcduffie County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Brantley County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Worth County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Haralson County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Cook County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Appling County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Mcduffie 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 Mcduffie County?

Mcduffie County has 6 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 2 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,272 students.

How much does Mcduffie County spend per student?

Mcduffie County spends $13,811 per student. The district has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #66 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Mcduffie County?

Mcduffie County students are 59.0% African American, 29.4% White, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Asian, averaged across 6 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Mcduffie County?

Mcduffie County has an equity score of 63/100, ranking #66 out of 216 districts in Georgia.