Murray 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.

Chatsworth, Georgia - 11 schools

An equity score of 47/100 ranks Murray County #118 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,123 per pupil, Murray County ranks #179 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

6,903
Total Enrollment
11
Schools
$12,123
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Murray County operates 11 public schools serving 6,903 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 7 combined, 2 high, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Murray County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,123 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 28.5% local, 51.0% state, and 20.5% 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 47/100, ranked #118 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 2 of 11 schools offering Advanced Placement (5 AP courses district-wide), a 473.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 26.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.2% White, 27.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Spring Place Elementary School, with a diversity index of 51.9/100.

Its largest campus is Murray County High School, enrolling 1,068 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Pleasant Valley Innovative School, at 64 students, a 17x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Murray County High School accounts for 15.5% of all Murray County student enrollment

That concentration means Murray 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

Murray County school enrollment varies 17× across entities

Murray County school enrollment ranges from 64 students (lowest) to 1,068 students (highest), a spread of 1,004 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Murray County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.4% 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

Murray County student-counselor ratio is 473:1 — 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

Murray County chronic absenteeism rate is 26.5% — 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 Murray County is typically wider than the Murray 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?

20.5%
Federal
51.0%
State
28.5%
Local

Funding Equity

47
Equity Score
118 / 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 11 schools in Murray County.

White 69.2%
Hispanic or Latino 27.2%
African American 0.6%
Asian 0.6%
Multiracial 2.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 43.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Spring Place Elementary School 51.9
  2. 2 Chatsworth Elementary School 50.9
  3. 3 Gladden Middle School 48.6
  4. 4 Pleasant Valley Innovative School 48.0
  5. 5 Murray County High School 46.5

Programs & Resources

2 / 11
Schools with AP
5 AP courses total
473.3:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
26.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Murray County

School Enrollment
Murray County High School
1,068
North Murray High School
961
Spring Place Elementary School
668
Chatsworth Elementary School
665
Coker Elementary School
613
Northwest Elementary School
557
Eton Elementary School
556
Woodlawn Elementary School
498
Gladden Middle School
478
Bagley Middle School
457
Pleasant Valley Innovative School
64

How Murray County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Habersham County Similar size Higher spending Similar funding mix
Rome City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Laurens County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gordon County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
State Charter Schools- Georgia Connections Academy Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded

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

Compare Murray 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 Murray County?

Murray County has 11 schools, including 2 high, 7 combined, 2 middle. Total enrollment is 6,903 students.

How much does Murray County spend per student?

Murray County spends $12,123 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #118 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Murray County?

Murray County students are 69.2% White, 27.2% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% African American, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 11 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Murray County?

Murray County has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #118 out of 216 districts in Georgia.