Thomas 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.

Thomasville, Georgia - 7 schools

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

At $13,787 per pupil, Thomas County ranks #88 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,727
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$13,787
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Thomas County operates 7 public schools serving 5,727 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 3 elementary, 2 high, 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 Thomas County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,787 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 27.8% local, 54.7% state, and 17.6% 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 68/100, ranked #50 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 7 schools offering Advanced Placement (21 AP courses district-wide), a 741.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 51.5% White, 37.0% African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hand in Hand Primary, with a diversity index of 62.1/100.

Its largest campus is Thomas County Middle School, enrolling 1,665 students (29% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is The Renaissance Center for Academic and Career Development, at 45 students, a 37x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Thomas County Middle School accounts for 28.6% of all Thomas County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Thomas County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Thomas County school enrollment varies 37× across entities

Thomas County school enrollment ranges from 45 students (lowest) to 1,665 students (highest), a spread of 1,620 students. That ratio is among the widest observed and reflects extreme enrollment heterogeneity, the district operates both small specialty programs and large comprehensive campuses inside a single budgeting unit. 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

Thomas County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 85.8% 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

Thomas County student-counselor ratio is 742:1 — 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

Thomas County chronic absenteeism rate is 30.3% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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 Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

17.6%
Federal
54.7%
State
27.8%
Local

Funding Equity

68
Equity Score
50 / 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 Thomas County.

White 51.5%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
African American 37.0%
Asian 1.0%
Multiracial 3.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 57.2/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hand in Hand Primary 62.1
  2. 2 Thomas County Middle School 61.1
  3. 3 Cross Creek Elementary School 60.2
  4. 4 Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School 58.7
  5. 5 Thomas County Central High School 57.9

Programs & Resources

1 / 7
Schools with AP
21 AP courses total
741.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.3%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Thomas County

School Enrollment
Thomas County Middle School
1,665
Thomas County Central High School
1,633
Garrison-Pilcher Elementary School
811
Cross Creek Elementary School
809
Hand in Hand Primary
712
Bishop Hall Charter School
Charter
143
The Renaissance Center for Academic and Career Development
45

How Thomas County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
City Schools of Decatur Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Harris County Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Carrollton City Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Buford City Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Ware County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Thomas 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 Thomas County?

Thomas County has 7 schools, including 3 elementary, 2 high, 2 combined. Total enrollment is 5,727 students.

How much does Thomas County spend per student?

Thomas County spends $13,787 per student. The district has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #50 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Thomas County?

Thomas County students are 51.5% White, 37.0% African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Thomas County?

Thomas County has an equity score of 68/100, ranking #50 out of 216 districts in Georgia.