Whitfield County

Public school district · Whitfield County · Georgia · NCES district ID 1305700

Whitfield County spent $13,284 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 68% of the other Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $13,981). Its 22 schools enrolled 11,942 students in 2024-25; 51.8% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,458 per student, up 8.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 85% (Georgia: 84.4%).

Spending per student among Georgia districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Whitfield County in enrollment (10,610 to 14,047 students) and Whitfield County itself.

Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Whitfield County, FY23Clarke County $21,012; Dougherty County $18,742; Glynn County $14,966; Bulloch County $14,007; Bartow County $13,840; Troup County $13,298; Whitfield County $13,284; Liberty County $12,560; Effingham County $12,037; Lowndes County $12,014; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k15k20k25kClarke County$21,012Dougherty County$18,742Glynn County$14,966Bulloch County$14,007Bartow County$13,840Troup County$13,298Whitfield County$13,284Liberty County$12,560Effingham County$12,037Lowndes County$12,014State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Whitfield County, FY23Clarke County $21,012; Dougherty County $18,742; Glynn County $14,966; Bulloch County $14,007; Bartow County $13,840; Troup County $13,298; Whitfield County $13,284; Liberty County $12,560; Effingham County $12,037; Lowndes County $12,014; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k15k20k25kClarke County$21,012Dougherty County$18,742Glynn County$14,966Bulloch County$14,007Bartow County$13,840Troup County$13,298Whitfield County$13,284Liberty County$12,560Effingham County$12,037Lowndes County$12,014State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Whitfield County, FY23Clarke County $21,012; Dougherty County $18,742; Glynn County $14,966; Bulloch County $14,007; Bartow County $13,840; Troup County $13,298; Whitfield County $13,284; Liberty County $12,560; Effingham County $12,037; Lowndes County $12,014; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k15k20k25kClarke County$21,012Dougherty County$18,742Glynn County$14,966Bulloch County$14,007Bartow County$13,840Troup County$13,298Whitfield County$13,284Liberty County$12,560Effingham County$12,037Lowndes County$12,014State median, 1,000+ students $13,981
Current spending per student, Georgia districts closest in size to Whitfield County, FY23Clarke County $21,012; Dougherty County $18,742; Glynn County $14,966; Bulloch County $14,007; Bartow County $13,840; Troup County $13,298; Whitfield County $13,284; Liberty County $12,560; Effingham County $12,037; Lowndes County $12,014; State median, 1,000+ students $13,981.10k15k20k25kClarke County$21,012Dougherty County$18,742Glynn County$14,966Bulloch County$14,007Bartow County$13,840Troup County$13,298Whitfield County$13,284Liberty County$12,560Effingham County$12,037Lowndes County$12,014State median, 1,000+ students $13,981

Where the money came from

$193,248,000 in revenue: 51.8% state, 30.9% local and 17.3% federal. Total spending including $19,841,000 of capital outlay was $184,343,000, or $14,967 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Whitfield County revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $100,048,000; Local $59,746,000; Federal $33,454,000; total $193,248,000.
  • State$100,048,000 52%
  • Local$59,746,000 31%
  • Federal$33,454,000 17%

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 fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25

12,317 students in 2022-23, 12,151 students in 2023-24, 11,942 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Whitfield County enrollment by school year2022-23: 12,317, 2023-24: 12,151, 2024-25: 11,94205k10k15k2022-2312,3172023-2412,1512024-2511,942
Whitfield County enrollment by school year2022-23: 12,317, 2023-24: 12,151, 2024-25: 11,94205k10k15k2022-2312,3172023-2412,1512024-2511,942
Whitfield County enrollment by school year2022-23: 12,317, 2023-24: 12,151, 2024-25: 11,94205k10k15k2022-2312,3172023-2412,1512024-2511,942
Whitfield County enrollment by school year2022-23: 12,317, 2023-24: 12,151, 2024-25: 11,94205k10k15k2022-2312,3172023-2412,1512024-2511,942

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-2312,317891.413.8
2023-2412,151878.913.8
2024-2511,942884.813.5

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$57,311,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,653 per student

Whitfield County booked $57,311,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 919 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 $62,376 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 61 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).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$37,281,00065.1%
Special education$9,141,00015.9%
Vocational$2,313,0004.0%
Other programs$8,576,00015.0%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,865 in 2018-19, $4,176 in 2019-20, $4,260 in 2020-21, $4,378 in 2021-22, $4,653 in 2022-23.

Whitfield County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,865, 2019-20: $4,176, 2020-21: $4,260, 2021-22: $4,378, 2022-23: $4,65302k4k6k2018-19$3,8652019-20$4,1762020-21$4,2602021-22$4,3782022-23$4,653
Whitfield County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,865, 2019-20: $4,176, 2020-21: $4,260, 2021-22: $4,378, 2022-23: $4,65302k4k6k2018-19$3,8652019-20$4,1762020-21$4,2602021-22$4,3782022-23$4,653
Whitfield County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,865, 2019-20: $4,176, 2020-21: $4,260, 2021-22: $4,378, 2022-23: $4,65302k4k6k2018-19$3,8652019-20$4,1762020-21$4,2602021-22$4,3782022-23$4,653
Whitfield County teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $3,865, 2019-20: $4,176, 2020-21: $4,260, 2021-22: $4,378, 2022-23: $4,65302k4k6k2018-19$3,8652019-20$4,1762020-21$4,2602021-22$4,3782022-23$4,653

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 Whitfield County scored proficient or above: 37% in reading and 38% 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.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtGeorgiaStudents tested
Reading and language arts37%39.6%6,332
Math38%37.4%6,512

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

85% of the 1,006 students in Whitfield County's 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.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtGeorgia
Four-year graduation rate85%84.4%
Students in the class1,006134,822

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.

13 elementary schools, 5,595 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Eastside Elementary School57911.7100.0%Schoolwide program
Westside Elementary School54912.983.2%Schoolwide program
New Hope Elementary School51113.890.4%Schoolwide program
Beaverdale Elementary School48811.8100.0%Schoolwide program
Valley Point Elementary School46912.4100.0%Schoolwide program
Pleasant Grove Elementary School45112.4100.0%Schoolwide program
Antioch Elementary School44611.2100.0%Schoolwide program
Dawnville Elementary School41311.5100.0%Schoolwide program
Cedar Ridge Elementary39911.7100.0%Schoolwide program
Dug Gap Elementary School35612.097.8%Schoolwide program
Varnell Elementary School35013.399.1%Schoolwide program
Tunnel Hill Elementary School29713.682.2%Schoolwide program
One more elementary school
SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Cohutta Elementary School28712.588.9%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.

5 middle schools, 2,614 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
North Whitfield Middle School73113.389.7%Schoolwide program
Eastbrook Middle School62413.2100.0%Schoolwide program
New Hope Middle School45412.886.6%Schoolwide program
Westside Middle School42814.184.8%Schoolwide program
Valley Point Middle School37711.898.1%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.

4 high schools, 3,733 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Southeast Whitfield County High School1,45316.594.9%Schoolwide program
Northwest Whitfield County High School1,09814.971.4%Not Title I
Coahulla Creek High School1,04118.379.3%Not Title I
Phoenix High School14114.0100.0%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.

Contact Whitfield County

  • Phone: (706) 278-8070
  • Office: 1306 S. Thornton Ave., Dalton, GA 30720

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 Whitfield County

  1. Georgia districts by spending per studentWhitfield County ranks 114 of 169 Georgia districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,284).#114 of 169
  2. Every school district in GeorgiaWhitfield County is the number 31 by size of 227 Georgia districts, with 12,317 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#31 of 227
  3. Clarke CountyThe next larger Georgia district: 12,340 students in fall 2022, $21,012 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$21,012
  4. Troup CountyThe next smaller Georgia district: 12,280 students in fall 2022, $13,298 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,298
  5. Compare Whitfield County with Clarke CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Southeast Whitfield County High School, its largest high school1,453 students in 2024-25, 16.5 per teacher.1,453
  7. Teacher salary spending across GeorgiaWhitfield County spent $62,376 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $60,911); spending, not a salary.$62,376
  8. 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 Whitfield County

  1. How many schools and students are in Whitfield County?
    22 schools were open in 2024-25 (13 elementary, 5 middle, 4 high), enrolling 11,942 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Whitfield County spend per student?
    $13,284 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 $14,458 per student, up 8.8% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Whitfield County's money come from?
    $193,248,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 51.8% state, 30.9% local and 17.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Whitfield County live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 2,324 of the 12,832 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.1%, 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.
  5. How much does Whitfield County spend on teacher salaries?
    $57,311,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,653 per student. Divided by the 919 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $62,376 per teacher, more than 61 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).
  6. How do students in Whitfield County do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Whitfield County scored proficient or above: 37% in reading and 38% 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.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Whitfield County?
    85% of the 1,006 students in Whitfield County's 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.
  8. What is Whitfield County's NCES district ID?
    1305700. 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