Wilkes County
Wilkes County is a public school district based in Washington, Georgia, serving 1,262 students in 4 schools. By enrollment it ranks #145 of the 160 Georgia districts with 1,000 or more students, larger than about 9% of them. Its schools average 316 students each, fewer than the Georgia median of 662. Its superintendent is Michelle Smith. It spends about $13,171 per student on day-to-day operations, 10% more than the Georgia median. It has roughly 13.4 students per teacher.
How Wilkes County compares
Spending and staffing
| Measure | Wilkes County | Georgia median | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current spending per student | $13,171 | $11,989 | FY2020-21 |
| Instruction spending per student | $7,426 | $7,267 | FY2020-21 |
| Total spending | $19.0 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Total revenue | $21.6 million | n/a | FY2020-21 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 94 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Total staff (full-time equivalent) | 253 | n/a | 2024-25 |
| Students per teacher | 13.4 | 13.9 | 2024-25 |
| Students per counselor | 316 | 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 →Michelle Smith
Source: Georgia School Superintendents Association member directory, checked 2026-10-05. Report a change
In the news
0 stories matchedWe haven't matched any stories to Wilkes County yet. Recent Georgia coverage is on the Georgia page.
Peer districts in Georgia
Compare side by side →| District | Students | Schools | Spending per student | Students per teacher | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes CountyWashington · this district | 1,262 | 4 | $13,171 | 13.4 | #145 |
| Lincoln CountyLincolnton | 1,261 | 3 | $13,177 | 14.7 | #146 |
| Chickamauga CityChickamauga | 1,258 | 3 | $10,738 | 15.0 | #147 |
| Schley CountyEllaville | 1,253 | 2 | $10,993 | 14.2 | #148 |
| Pelham CityPelham | 1,246 | 3 | $11,571 | 12.1 | #149 |
Similar-size districts nationally
| District | Students | Spending per student | Students per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern-Jefferson Co ConHanover, IN | 1,263 | $9,189 | 15.6 |
| Hillsdale Community SchoolsHillsdale, MI | 1,263 | $11,445 | 15.6 |
| Orange Beach CityOrange Beach, AL | 1,262 | n/a | 14.8 |
| Drew Central School DistrictMonticello, AR | 1,262 | $9,500 | 15.2 |
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-wilkes-county