Ware County Schools
Listed by NCES as Ware County (district ID 1305430)
Public school district · Ware County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1305430
Ware County Schools spent $15,387 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 81% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $13,981). Its 9 schools enrolled 5,920 students in 2024-25; 51.4% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,364 per student, up 6.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 82% (Georgia: 84.4%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Georgia districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Ware County Schools in enrollment (5,612 to 6,424 students) and Ware County Schools itself.
Where the money came from
$102,867,000 in revenue: 51.4% state, 27.7% local and 20.9% federal. Total spending including $7,380,000 of capital outlay was $100,228,000, or $16,780 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$52,886,000 51%
- Local$28,469,000 28%
- Federal$21,512,000 21%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 169 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
5,973 students in 2022-23, 5,977 students in 2023-24, 5,920 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 5,973 | 438.8 | 13.6 |
| 2023-24 | 5,977 | 457.4 | 13.1 |
| 2024-25 | 5,920 | 439.8 | 13.5 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$26,932,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,509 per student
Ware County Schools booked $26,932,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 453 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $59,466 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 38 in 100 Georgia districts with a figure (state median $60,911, 215 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Georgia teacher salary at $61,249 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $18,583,000 | 69.0% |
| Special education | $5,309,000 | 19.7% |
| Vocational | $1,197,000 | 4.4% |
| Other programs | $1,843,000 | 6.8% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,815 in 2018-19, $4,020 in 2019-20, $4,171 in 2020-21, $4,286 in 2021-22, $4,509 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Ware County Schools scored proficient or above: 36% in reading and 33% in math, against 39.6% in reading and 37.4% in math across Georgia. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Georgia, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Georgia | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 36% | 39.6% | 3,094 |
| Math | 33% | 37.4% | 3,075 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
82% of the 365 students in Ware County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.4% across Georgia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 82% | 84.4% |
| Students in the class | 365 | 134,822 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
6 elementary schools, 2,929 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wacona Elementary School | 885 | 18.9 | 86.4% | Schoolwide program |
| Center Elementary School | 470 | 13.4 | 95.7% | Schoolwide program |
| Williams Heights Elementary School | 436 | 13.3 | 80.3% | Schoolwide program |
| Waresboro Elementary School | 429 | 12.4 | 81.8% | Schoolwide program |
| Ruskin Elementary School | 363 | 11.8 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
| Memorial Drive Elementary School | 346 | 10.8 | 100.0% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 1,358 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County Middle School | 752 | 11.6 | 80.5% | Schoolwide program |
| Waycross Middle School | 606 | 12.7 | 90.8% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
1 high school, 1,633 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County High School | 1,633 | 14.1 | 84.1% | Schoolwide program |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Ware County Schools
- Website: ware.k12.ga.us
- Phone: (912) 283-8656
- Office: 1301 Bailey Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Ware County Schools
- Georgia districts by spending per studentWare County Schools ranks 33 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($15,387).#33 of 169
- Every school district in GeorgiaWare County Schools is the number 60 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 5,973 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#60 of 227
- Lee County School SystemThe next larger Georgia district: 6,333 students in fall 2022, $11,377 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,377
- Buford CityThe next smaller Georgia district: 5,847 students in fall 2022, $13,926 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,926
- Compare Ware County Schools with Lee County School SystemEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Ware County High School, its largest high school1,633 students in 2024-25, 14.1 per teacher.1,633
- Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaWare County Schools spent $59,466 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$59,466
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Ware County Schools
How many schools and students are in Ware County Schools?
9 schools were open in 2024-25 (6 elementary, 2 middle, 1 high), enrolling 5,920 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Ware County Schools spend per student?
$15,387 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Georgia median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $13,981 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $16,364 per student, up 6.3% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Ware County Schools' money come from?
$102,867,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 51.4% state, 27.7% local and 20.9% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Ware County Schools live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 2,369 of the 6,598 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 35.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Ware County Schools spend on teacher salaries?
$26,932,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,509 per student. Divided by the 453 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $59,466 per teacher, more than 38 in 100 Georgia districts (state median $60,911). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Georgia teacher salary at $61,249 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Ware County Schools do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Ware County Schools scored proficient or above: 36% in reading and 33% in math, against 39.6% in reading and 37.4% in math across Georgia. Georgia's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Ware County Schools?
82% of the 365 students in Ware County Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 84.4% across Georgia. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Ware County Schools' NCES district ID?
1305430. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25