Walker 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.

Lafayette, Georgia - 15 schools

An equity score of 64/100 ranks Walker County #63 of 216 districts in Georgia (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $14,055 per pupil, Walker County ranks #79 of 219 Georgia districts by per-pupil spending (Georgia districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

8,401
Total Enrollment
15
Schools
$14,055
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Walker County operates 15 public schools serving 8,401 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Georgia. The school portfolio breaks down into 10 combined, 3 middle, 2 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 Walker County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,055 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 30.5% local, 50.5% state, and 19.0% 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 64/100, ranked #63 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 2 of 15 schools offering Advanced Placement (13 AP courses district-wide), a 361.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 30.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 82.2% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.1% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Rossville Elementary School, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.

Its largest campus is Ridgeland High School, enrolling 1,284 students (15% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Fairyland Elementary School, at 294 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Ridgeland High School accounts for 15.3% of all Walker County student enrollment

That concentration means Walker 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

Walker County school enrollment varies 4.4× across entities

Walker County school enrollment ranges from 294 students (lowest) to 1,284 students (highest), a spread of 990 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

Walker County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.2% 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

Walker County student-counselor ratio is 361:1 — 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

Walker County chronic absenteeism rate is 30.1% — 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?

19.0%
Federal
50.5%
State
30.5%
Local

Funding Equity

64
Equity Score
63 / 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 15 schools in Walker County.

White 82.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 5.1%
Multiracial 6.1%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 30.5/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Rossville Elementary School 53.7
  2. 2 Rossville Middle School 51.7
  3. 3 Stone Creek Elementary School 45.5
  4. 4 Ridgeland High School 37.1
  5. 5 North Lafayette Elementary School 30.0

Programs & Resources

2 / 15
Schools with AP
13 AP courses total
361.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
30.1%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Walker County

School Enrollment
Ridgeland High School
1,284
Lafayette High School
1,157
Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle School
772
Cherokee Ridge Elementary
548
Lafayette Middle School
499
Gilbert Elementary School
476
Chattanooga Valley Middle School
449
Stone Creek Elementary School
448
Rossville Elementary School
447
Rossville Middle School
446
North Lafayette Elementary School
420
Rock Spring Elementary School
419
Chattanooga Valley Elementary School
418
Naomi Elementary School
302
Fairyland Elementary School
294

How Walker County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Georgia districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Valdosta City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Oconee County Similar size Lower spending More locally funded
Marietta City Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Gainesville City Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Colquitt County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Walker 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 Walker County?

Walker County has 15 schools, including 2 high, 10 combined, 3 middle. Total enrollment is 8,401 students.

How much does Walker County spend per student?

Walker County spends $14,055 per student. The district has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #63 in Georgia.

What is the demographic composition of Walker County?

Walker County students are 82.2% White, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 5.1% African American, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 15 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Walker County?

Walker County has an equity score of 64/100, ranking #63 out of 216 districts in Georgia.