Can I use Clarke County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Clarke County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Clarke County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Clarke County?

Start with the 22 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Clarke County Schools & Education

Name: Clarke County, Georgia Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Clarke County, Georgia

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

38/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

36.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

36.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 88.1%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,733

National avg $13,239

State avg $7,405

School Score

38/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 50/100

State Score Position

#125

of 159 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Clarke County

Measured School Summary

Clarke County faces educational challenges with a school score of 38/100 and a graduation rate of 36.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

Clarke County spends $8,733 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 25% below the Georgia average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 51.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 18% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Clarke County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

22 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

38/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #125 of 159 Georgia counties with school score data.

Completion

36.3%

51.8 pts below the state average

Funding context

$8,733

$1,328 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Clarke County has 22 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Clarke County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

Clarke County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 21 of 22 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#125

of 159 Georgia counties with school score data. The county score is 12 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Clarke County

Elementary to high school visible

12,340 students

Elementary 14Middle 4High 3Other 0

21 listed schools in this county slice.

State Charter Schools- Foothills Charter High School (Centr

High school only in this slice

2,519 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 1Other 0

1 listed school in this county slice.

District reality check

Clarke County is the largest listed district slice, with 21 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Clarke County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Clarke County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

Clarke County Graduation Rate Diverges From State and National Benchmarks

Education data brief for Clarke County, Georgia.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

Clarke County reports a graduation rate of 36.3%, a figure that is significantly lower than the Georgia state average of 88.1% and the national average of 87.0%. This data point is influenced by the county's role as a host for the Foothills Charter High School central office, a statewide charter district that serves 2,519 students. Within the traditional Clarke County district, which operates 21 schools and serves 12,340 students, the largest traditional campuses are Clarke Central High School and Cedar Shoals High School. The county's per-pupil expenditure is $8,733, which is notably higher than the state average of $7,405, although it remains below the national average of $13,000. The composite school score for the county is 37.6, compared to a national median of 50.0 and a state average of 49.6. Most schools in the area are classified as being in a city locale. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in Clarke County

Reported Enrollment

14,859

22 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

5% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary14

Middle4

High4

Other0

2 School Districts in Clarke County

Clarke County

State Charter Schools- Foothills Charter High School (Centr

1 school

2,519 students

22 Public Schools in Clarke County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 3 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

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Showing 20 of 22 matching schools

Public schools in Clarke County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Foothills Charter High School (Central Office - Athens)	Profile	State Charter Schools- Foothills Charter High School (Centr	Athens, 30607City: Midsize	9–12	Charter	2,519
Clarke Central High School	Profile	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,836
Cedar Shoals High School	Profile	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	9–12	High	1,443
Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	728
Clarke Middle School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	708
Whitehead Road Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	691
Coile Middle School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30601Rural: Fringe	6–8	Middle	635
Hilsman Middle School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	6–8	Middle	628
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	581
Timothy Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	536
Gaines Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	518
Chase Street Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30601City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	492
Barnett Shoals Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	487
Barrow Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	452
Whit Davis Road Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30605City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	439
Judia Jackson Harris Elementary	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30601City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	407
Fowler Drive Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30601City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	388
Winterville Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Winterville, 30683Suburb: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	365
Howard B. Stroud Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30601City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	359
Alps Road Elementary School	Record	Clarke County	Athens, 30606City: Midsize	PK–5	Primary	339

Foothills Charter High School (Central Office - Athens)

State Charter Schools- Foothills Charter High School (Centr

Athens, 30607 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12Charter2,519 students

Clarke Central High School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,836 students

Cedar Shoals High School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High1,443 students

Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle728 students

Clarke Middle School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle708 students

Whitehead Road Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary691 students

Coile Middle School

Clarke County

Athens, 30601 / Rural: Fringe

Record6–8Middle635 students

Hilsman Middle School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

Record6–8Middle628 students

Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary581 students

Timothy Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary536 students

Gaines Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary518 students

Chase Street Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30601 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary492 students

Barnett Shoals Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary487 students

Barrow Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary452 students

Whit Davis Road Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30605 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary439 students

Judia Jackson Harris Elementary

Clarke County

Athens, 30601 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary407 students

Fowler Drive Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30601 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary388 students

Winterville Elementary School

Clarke County

Winterville, 30683 / Suburb: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary365 students

Howard B. Stroud Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30601 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary359 students

Alps Road Elementary School

Clarke County

Athens, 30606 / City: Midsize

RecordPK–5Primary339 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,733

State avg $7,405

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Clarke County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Georgia counties have the highest graduation rates?

Oconee County (98.0%), Bleckley County (97.0%), and Haralson County (97.0%) currently lead Georgia among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Georgia?

Across Georgia counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $7,405. The highest current county values are Towns County ($10,107), Burke County ($9,829), and Quitman County ($9,756). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in Clarke County?

Clarke County has a school score of 38/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Clarke County?

The high school graduation rate in Clarke County is 36.3%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Clarke County spend per student?

Clarke County spends $8,733 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Harris County

Georgia

-0 pts

37/100

School score

DeKalb County

Georgia

+1 pts

38/100

School score

Pierce County

Georgia

-1 pts

37/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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