Hart County, GA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on Hart County

Hart County Schools serves a small, rural district in northeast Georgia across five schools spanning pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The district's enrollment sits at a modest level across elementary, middle, and high school buildings, with a student body that is majority white, alongside substantial populations of Black and Hispanic students and smaller Asian and multiracial cohorts.

State testing results from 2024-25 show that the district faces measurable academic headwinds across all tested subjects and grades. In math, proficiency ranges from the low forties through the low sixties across grades 3 through 8, with third and fourth grade students showing the strongest results and a notable dip in middle grades. English language arts proficiency is consistently lower, falling in the low to mid-forties in elementary grades and dropping to the low thirties by grades 7 and 8. Science testing in fifth grade shows results in the mid-forties, while eighth-grade science sits lower. These patterns suggest that students enter elementary with some foundational skill but face challenges sustaining proficiency as content demands increase through upper elementary and middle school. A parent reviewing these numbers may want to look into whether the district has identified root causes in its instructional practices or resource allocation and what specific interventions are underway in reading and mathematics.

The district's enrollment data does not include free-or-reduced-price lunch counts or English learner identification rates, leaving a gap in understanding the economic and language support contexts. The district also did not report a four-year graduation rate, which is standard data for high school outcomes, so families cannot assess completion and college-readiness indicators at that level from this source.

Hart County Schools operates in a housing market with median home values in the low-to-mid range for the state, making the area relatively affordable relative to national norms. The district recently completed a facilities renewal cycle funded through a sales tax extension and bond, including new transportation facilities and completed renovations at two elementary schools. This capital investment, financed through sales tax rather than property tax increases, reflects a district attempting to modernize its physical plant without creating full ad valorem tax burden. Unemployment in Hart County runs near the state average, and median household incomes fall somewhat below the national benchmark, suggesting a working-class and rural economic profile.

The district is a traditional public system with no charter or magnet programming listed, serving the county's five communities: Hartwell, Bowersville, Canon, Royston, and smaller rural areas. A family choosing Hart County Schools would be selecting a consolidated rural district with stable, established schools and a commitment to facility improvement, though with academic results that fall below proficiency expectations in core subjects. The district's trajectory and any corrective initiatives are not visible in this data.

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District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

3,765

Grades

PK–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 11%

Black 21%

White 61%

Asian 2%

Two+ 6%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

Schools in this District

5 schools are officially reported under this district.

Hart County High School

Hartwell Elementary School

Hart County Middle School

North Hart Elementary School

South Hart Elementary School

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

53%

Grade 3

62%

Grade 4

46%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

41%

Grade 7

51%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

36%

Grade 3

42%

Grade 4

48%

Grade 5

39%

Grade 6

36%

Grade 7

32%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

45%

Grade 5

34%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

42%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$290,568

Year-over-year change+2.3%

Range across 8 ZIP codes$175K to $320K

vs. state typical0.87x

vs. national typical0.79x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (8 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
30643	Hartwell	$315K	+0.7%	49.3%
30520	Canon	$270K	+5.3%	12.7%
30553	Lavonia	$320K	+1.3%	10.5%
30662	Royston	$269K	+4.2%	9.1%
30516	Bowersville	$261K	+1.1%	8.9%
30634	Dewy Rose	$213K	+7.7%	5.7%
30624	Bowman	$208K	+4.7%	2.1%
30635		$175K	+6.3%	1.7%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$1,466/mo

Home price / national median income3.5x

Comparison

State typical home value$333,559 (-1.2% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.