Public schools in Gainesville, GA
34 open public schools with an address in Gainesville, operated by 4 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
34
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
26,463
34 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
14.3:1
Georgia median 13.7:1
Charter schools
0
14 magnet · 0 virtual
An overview of Gainesville public schools
The federal directory lists 34 public schools in Gainesville, GA: 17 elementary, 7 middle, 10 high. The 34 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 26,463 students, an average of 778 per school. The largest campus is Gainesville High School (2,077 students), and the largest elementary school is Chestatee Elementary (1,159).
Hall County operates the most schools here (21), and 3 regular districts have at least one Gainesville 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 14.3:1, similar to 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.
School choice options include 14 magnet schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 7 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 8 of 9 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 66% 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 Gainesville
Elementary schools in Gainesville
17| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial Arts Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 760 | 14.3:1 | |
| Chestatee Elementary Forsyth County | PK–05 | 1,159 | 14.2:1 | |
| Chicopee Elementary School Hall County | PK–05 | 809 | 13.7:1 | |
| Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 767 | 14.2:1 | |
| Fair Street International Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 651 | 15.4:1 | |
| Gainesville Exploration Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 536 | 13.7:1 | |
| Lanier Elementary School Hall County | PK–05 | 557 | 15.7:1 | |
| Lyman Hall Elementary School Hall County | PK–05 | 785 | 13.6:1 | |
| Mount Vernon Elementary School Hall County · Magnet | PK–05 | 650 | 16.1:1 | |
| Mundy Mill Arts Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 825 | 15.2:1 | |
| Myers Elementary School Hall County | PK–05 | 524 | 11.9:1 | |
| New Holland Leadership Academy Gainesville City | PK–05 | 573 | 14.6:1 | |
| Sandra Dunagan Deal Elementary Hall County | PK–05 | 762 | 14.1:1 | |
| Sardis Elementary School Hall County · Magnet | PK–05 | 556 | 14.8:1 | |
| Sugar Hill Elementary Hall County · Magnet | PK–05 | 685 | 14.2:1 | |
| Tadmore Elementary School Hall County · Magnet | PK–05 | 488 | 12.9:1 | |
| Wauka Mountain Elementary School Hall County · Magnet | PK–05 | 546 | 16.3:1 |
Middle schools in Gainesville
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chestatee Middle School Hall County · Magnet | 06–08 | 834 | 12.6:1 | |
| East Hall Middle School Hall County | 06–08 | 775 | 10.7:1 | |
| Gainesville Middle School East Gainesville City | 06–08 | 896 | 14.7:1 | |
| Gainesville Middle School West Gainesville City | 06–08 | 931 | 16.3:1 | |
| North Hall Middle School Hall County · Magnet | 06–08 | 826 | 14.1:1 | |
| South Hall Middle School Hall County · Magnet | 06–08 | 955 | 12.7:1 | |
| World Language Academy Middle School Hall County · Magnet | 06–08 | 256 | 13:1 |
High schools in Gainesville
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chestatee High School Hall County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,245 | 15.2:1 | |
| East Forsyth High School Forsyth County | 09–12 | 1,588 | 16.2:1 | |
| East Hall High School Hall County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,287 | 15.3:1 | |
| Gainesville High School Gainesville City | 09–12 | 2,077 | 15.2:1 | |
| Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center Department of Juvenile Justice · Alternative School | 05–12 | 17 | 3.4:1 | |
| Horizon Academy Gainesville City | 09–12 | 464 | 28.1:1 | |
| Johnson High School Hall County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,318 | 14.6:1 | |
| Lanier College and Career Academy Hall County · Magnet | 09–12 | 169 | 6.9:1 | |
| North Hall High School Hall County · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,164 | 16.3:1 | |
| The Foundry Hall County | 06–12 | 28 | 6.2:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White32.5%
- Hispanic55.4%
- Black7.7%
- Asian1.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial2.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 34 Gainesville schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (26,463 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Gainesville
How many public schools are in Gainesville, GA?
The current NCES directory lists 34 open public schools with a location address in Gainesville: 17 elementary, 7 middle, 10 high. Together they reported 26,463 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Gainesville?
Schools with an address in Gainesville belong to 4 education agencies, led by Hall County (21 schools), Gainesville City (10 schools), Forsyth County (2 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Gainesville?
Gainesville High School reported the largest high-school enrollment in Gainesville, with 2,077 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Gainesville?
No school with an address in Gainesville 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 Gainesville schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Gainesville public schools is 14.3:1, similar to 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 Gainesville 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