Gilmer County
Gilmer County is a public school district based in Ellijay, Georgia, serving 4,124 students in 5 schools. By enrollment it ranks #76 of the 160 Georgia districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 53% of them. Its schools average 825 students each, more than the Georgia median of 662. Its superintendent is Brian Ridley. It spends about $11,900 per student on day-to-day operations, about the state median. It has roughly 14.4 students per teacher.
How Gilmer County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Gilmer County | Georgia median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $11,900 | $11,989 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,124 | $7,267 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $66.9 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $64.4 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 287 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 592 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 14.4 | 13.9 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 458 | 425 | 2024-25 |
Spending: NCES school district finance survey (F-33), FY2020-21. Staffing and enrollment: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25. Via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. The Georgia median compares districts with 1,000 or more students.
Leadership
Moves tracker →Brian Ridley
Source: Georgia School Superintendents Association member directory, checked 2026-10-05. Report a change
In the news
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Peer districts in Georgia
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun CityCalhoun | 4,193 | 5 | $9,447 | 16.9 | #74 |
| Decatur CountyBainbridge | 4,178 | 6 | $11,893 | 13.7 | #75 |
| Gilmer CountyEllijay · this district | 4,124 | 5 | $11,900 | 14.4 | #76 |
| Thomaston-Upson CountyThomaston | 3,996 | 4 | $12,251 | 14.1 | #77 |
| Peach CountyFort Valley | 3,980 | 7 | $11,257 | 14.3 | #78 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smyth County Public SchoolsMarion, VA | 4,132 | $12,177 | 11.1 |
| Simsbury School DistrictSimsbury, CT | 4,127 | $22,076 | 12.7 |
| Clarence Central School DistrictClarence, NY | 4,122 | $17,688 | 10.9 |
| Mabank ISDMabank, TX | 4,118 | $10,080 | 14.6 |
Peers are the districts closest in enrollment, so they can still differ in many other ways. Enrollment, school counts and phone numbers are from the NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25.
Printed from Superintendent's Corner: https://superintendentscorner.com/district-ga-gilmer-county