Original Research by School Decision on Josey High School
Josey High School sits in the downtown core of Augusta, serving ninth through twelfth grade in a regular public school setting. The school's enrollment is small for a comprehensive high school, with a class structure that widens noticeably at ninth and tenth grades and tapers through junior and senior year. Every student enrolled at Josey qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the school's catchment area and the city's broader demographic profile.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and very small representations of other racial and ethnic groups. No data on state assessment results, proficiency rates, graduation outcomes, chronic absenteeism, or staffing levels were available in the school's publicly reported records, so a parent seeking to understand academic performance would need to contact the school directly or inquire through the district office.
Augusta itself is Georgia's third-largest city, anchored by a walkable downtown with historic Broad Street as its main corridor, lined with restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, and cultural institutions. The Savannah River waterfront, the revitalized James Brown Linear Park, and the Augusta Riverwalk form the civic spine. Healthcare and government anchor the economy; Augusta University and Wellstar MCG Health operate a major academic medical center, and Fort Eisenhower (the Army's largest communications and electronics training facility) is a dominant employer. The city's economy also rests on manufacturing, with Textron Specialized Vehicles, Club Car, and other industrial operations. Civic infrastructure includes a six-branch public library system with a new downtown headquarters and a transit system serving fixed routes across the metropolitan area.
The housing market in the 30901 zip code where Josey is located is notably affordable relative to the state and nation. Home values and rents remain well below state and national benchmarks, and the cost of housing relative to income is moderate. The area is experiencing rapid residential growth, particularly downtown multifamily development and suburban expansion in North Augusta across the state line, driven by the region's economic stability and low cost of living relative to other Georgia metros.
A significant change is coming. The Richmond County School System's Long-Range Facilities Master Plan, approved and taking effect beginning the 2026-27 school year, will close Josey as a zoned comprehensive high school at the end of the 2028-29 school year. The Josey-Murphey campus will then be repurposed into a districtwide College and Career Academy serving grades nine through twelve as a choice program, not a neighborhood school. This means students currently assigned to Josey's zone will be reassigned to other comprehensive high schools starting in 2026-27, and the building's future mission will shift to a specialized pathway. The district is funding this transformation and other facility improvements through voter-approved ESPLOST VI and VII sales taxes without raising property taxes or adding debt. A new Barton Chapel Elementary and the new College and Career Academy at Josey-Murphey are among the projects already underway.
Parents considering Josey in its current form should note that the school's tenure as a traditional neighborhood high school is finite, with closure coming within a few years. The school's immediate and long-term role in the district's feeder pattern and attendance zone structure will change substantially. A direct conversation with Richmond County Schools about current academic support, program offerings, and the transition timeline would be prudent for any family weighing options.
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