Gwinnett gets high score on school efficiency rating system
A state report released Thursday suggests Gwinnett County public school parents are getting a strong bang for their bucks.
Gwinnett received a 4.5 on a scale of 5, which is the best, on the state’s Financial Efficiency Star Rating system. The system is based on a formula that consists of three-year averages of per pupil spending, student enrollment and the state’s College and Career-Ready Performance Index, which is described as the state’s report card of schools.
Gwinnett’s three-year CCRPI average was 81.9, better than most districts. The report found its average per pupil spending was about $7,600, 21st out of Georgia’s 181 school districts.
Schools with higher average per pupil spending generally get lower ratings. Some districts note the ratings don't account for cost-of-living, efforts to spend more money to help low-income students and schools that try to keep enrollment low.
The rating system was ordered through a bill passed by the Georgia Legislature. The ratings were done for the first time last year. Gwinnett got a 4.5 last year.
Go to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Ultimate School Guide to learn more about how Gwinnett schools perform in a number of academic categories.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
