Rockdale 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.

Conyers, Georgia - 18 schools

An equity score of 62/100 ranks Rockdale County #68 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $15,205 per pupil, Rockdale County ranks #45 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

15,734
Total Enrollment
18
Schools
$15,205
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Rockdale County operates 18 public schools serving 15,734 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 4 middle, 3 high 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 Rockdale County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $15,205 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 37.9% local, 41.9% state, and 20.2% 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 62/100, ranked #68 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 3 of 18 schools offering Advanced Placement (68 AP courses district-wide), a 475.4:1 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 66.9% African American, 19.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hightower Trail Elementary School, with a diversity index of 57.9/100.

Its largest campus is Rockdale County High School, enrolling 2,336 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Sims Elementary School, at 462 students, a 5x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Rockdale County school enrollment varies 5.1× across entities

Rockdale County school enrollment ranges from 462 students (lowest) to 2,336 students (highest), a spread of 1,874 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

Rockdale 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

Rockdale County student-counselor ratio is 475:1 — 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

Rockdale 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 Rockdale County is typically wider than the Rockdale 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?

20.2%
Federal
41.9%
State
37.9%
Local

Funding Equity

62
Equity Score
68 / 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 18 schools in Rockdale County.

White 6.9%
Hispanic or Latino 19.8%
African American 66.9%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 5.0%
Other 0.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 47.0/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hightower Trail Elementary School 57.9
  2. 2 Lorraine Elementary School 56.5
  3. 3 Edwards Middle School 56.2
  4. 4 Heritage High School 53.6
  5. 5 Barksdale Elementary School 52.4

Programs & Resources

3 / 18
Schools with AP
68 AP courses total
475.4:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
29.7%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Rockdale County

School Enrollment
Rockdale County High School
2,336
Heritage High School
1,788
Salem High School
1,118
Conyers Middle School
943
Edwards Middle School
934
Hicks Elementary School
878
General Ray Davis Middle School
874
Memorial Middle School
774
Pine Street Elementary School
679
Shoal Creek Elementary School
666
Flat Shoals Elementary School
639
House Elementary School
623
Peek's Chapel Elementary
591
Lorraine Elementary School
571
Hightower Trail Elementary School
500
Barksdale Elementary School
495
Honey Creek Elementary School
471
Sims Elementary School
462

How Rockdale County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Carroll County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Barrow County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Walton County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Effingham County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Bartow County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Rockdale 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 Rockdale County?

Rockdale County has 18 schools, including 3 high, 4 middle, 11 combined. Total enrollment is 15,734 students.

How much does Rockdale County spend per student?

Rockdale County spends $15,205 per student. The district has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #68 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Rockdale County?

Rockdale County students are 66.9% African American, 19.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% White, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 18 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Rockdale County?

Rockdale County has an equity score of 62/100, ranking #68 out of 216 districts in Georgia.