Carroll County School District (Georgia)

Carroll County School System
Address
164 Independence Drive
Carrollton
, Georgia, 30116-7506
United States
Coordinates33°34′11″N 85°02′38″W / 33.569802°N 85.043820°W / 33.569802; -85.043820[1]
District information
GradesPre-kindergarten – 12
SuperintendentScott Cowart
Accreditation(s)Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Georgia Accrediting Commission
NCES District ID1300840[2]
Students and staff
Enrollment15,981 (2022–23) [2]
Faculty1,023.90 (FTE)[2]
Staff930.60 (FTE)[2]
Student–teacher ratio15.61[2]
Other information
Telephone(770) 832-3568
Websitecarrollcountyschools.com

The Carroll County School System is a public school district in Carroll County, Georgia, United States, based in Carrollton.

It includes portions of Carroll County not within the city limits of Carrollton, nor those of Bremen.[3] It serves the communities of Bowdon, two thirds of unincorporated Bremen,[citation needed] Mount Zion, Roopville, Temple, Villa Rica, and Whitesburg.

History

Drug testing

In 2015 the district announced that it will begin randomly drug test students at its high schools; students may be drug tested if they participate in extracurricular programs, including athletic and non-athletic ones, and persons who drive automobiles to school.[4]

Controversies

Superintendent hiring practices controversy

In 2022, the school board voted to renew the contract of superintendent Scott Cowart, however, this vote was divided with three of the seven board members voting against, citing a lack of diversity and equity in hiring practices by Cowart and his failure to give due notice to the board of his intention to renew his contract. Cowart has served as superintendent since 2010.[5]

Unreserved fund balance

A candidate for the school board accused the district of maintaining an unreserved fund balance in excess beyond standards set by state law. Candidate Bill Kecskes claimed from personal research that the board maintained a $46,107,371 UFB: 31.28% of the 2022 fiscal year operating budget of $147,405,087. Kecskes also referred to OCGA 20-2-167(a)5 which sets target unreserved fund balances for school boards at "not less than 12-14% of annual operating expenditures for the subsequent fiscal year budget, not to exceed 15% of the total budget of the subsequent school year". The superintendent denied the claims made by Kecskes and stated the numbers were only targets as opposed to legal mandates.[6]

Schools

The Carroll County School District has twelve elementary schools, six middle schools, and five high schools.[7]

Elementary schools

  • Bowdon Elementary School
  • Central Elementary School
  • Glanton-Hindsman Elementary School
  • Ithica Elementary School
  • Mount Zion Elementary School
  • Providence Elementary School
  • Roopville Elementary School
  • Sand Hill Elementary School
  • Sharp Creek Elementary School
  • Temple Elementary School
  • Villa Rica Elementary School
  • Whitesburg Elementary School

Middle schools

  • Bay Springs Middle School
  • Bowdon Middle School
  • Central Middle School
  • Mount Zion Middle School
  • Temple Middle School
  • Villa Rica Middle School

High schools

Performing Arts Center

The Carroll County Schools Performing Arts Center was opened in 2017 to accommodate various needs of the school district. Designed as a music hall, the school system claims the venue as "the most acoustically calibrated facility in the western portion of Georgia". The auditorium can seat up to 1,100 people and hosts multiple side rooms for district staff meetings and exhibitions.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Free US Geocoder". Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Search for Public School Districts - District Detail for Carroll County". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  3. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Carroll County, GA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 24, 2024. - Text list
  4. ^ Corona, Wendy. "Carroll County to start randomly drug testing students" (Archive). WSB-TV. Friday April 24, 2015. Retrieved on April 27, 2015.
  5. ^ "Superintendent's Contract Offer Survives Divided Board Vote – Gradick Communications". Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  6. ^ "BOE Candidate Says Carroll County Schools District Is Breaking BOE Policy & State Law – Gradick Communications". Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "Schools in Carroll County". Georgia Board of Education. Retrieved September 13, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ Karr, Donny. "BOE candidates criticize Performing Arts Center location". Times-Georgian. Retrieved October 26, 2021.