Public schools in Athens, GA
21 open public schools with an address in Athens, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
21
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
13,866
21 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
10.7:1
Georgia median 13.7:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Athens public schools
The federal directory lists 21 public schools in Athens, GA: 13 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high. The 21 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 13,866 students, an average of 660 per school. The largest campus is Clarke Central High School (1,907 students), and the largest elementary school is South Jackson Elementary School (715).
Clarke County operates the most schools here (19), and 2 regular districts have at least one Athens campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 10.7:1, lower than the statewide school median of 13.7:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
Among 4 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 2 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 4 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 89% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Athens
Elementary schools in Athens
13| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnett Shoals Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 490 | 9.8:1 | |
| Barrow Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 456 | 10.9:1 | |
| Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 322 | 8.5:1 | |
| Fowler Drive Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 366 | 8.6:1 | |
| Gaines Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 568 | 11.3:1 | |
| Howard B. Stroud Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 350 | 8.3:1 | |
| Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 492 | 11.2:1 | |
| Judia Jackson Harris Elementary Clarke County | PK–05 | 392 | 9.7:1 | |
| Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 563 | 10.1:1 | |
| South Jackson Elementary School Jackson County | PK–05 | 715 | 11.5:1 | |
| Timothy Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 565 | 10.6:1 | |
| Whit Davis Road Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 395 | 10.7:1 | |
| Whitehead Road Elementary School Clarke County | PK–05 | 632 | 9.6:1 |
Middle schools in Athens
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School Clarke County | 06–08 | 707 | 11.5:1 | |
| Clarke Middle School Clarke County | 06–08 | 718 | 11.3:1 | |
| Coile Middle School Clarke County | 06–08 | 582 | 10.5:1 | |
| Hilsman Middle School Clarke County | 06–08 | 624 | 11:1 |
High schools in Athens
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Shoals High School Clarke County | 09–12 | 1,489 | 13.6:1 | |
| Clarke Central High School Clarke County | 09–12 | 1,907 | 15.9:1 | |
| Classic City High School Clarke County | 09–12 | 58 | 8.3:1 | |
| Foothills Regional High School State Specialty Schools I- Foothills Regional High School | 09–12 | 1,475 | 51.6:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White24.6%
- Hispanic26.4%
- Black42.2%
- Asian1.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial5.1%
Enrollment-weighted across 21 Athens schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (13,866 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Athens
How many public schools are in Athens, GA?
The current NCES directory lists 21 open public schools with a location address in Athens: 13 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high. Together they reported 13,866 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Athens?
Schools with an address in Athens belong to 3 education agencies, led by Clarke County (19 schools), Jackson County (1 school), State Specialty Schools I- Foothills Regional High School (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Athens?
Clarke Central High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Athens, with 1,907 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Athens?
No school with an address in Athens is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in Georgia.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Athens schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Athens public schools is 10.7:1, lower than the Georgia school median of 13.7:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Athens guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby Georgia cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All Georgia cities