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Houston County School District, Georgia, elections

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Houston County School District
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District details
School board members: 7
Students: 30,826 (2023-2024)
Schools: 37 (2023-2024)
Website: Link

Houston County School District is a school district in Georgia (Houston County). During the 2024 school year, 30,826 students attended one of the district's 37 schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Elections

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Houston County District school board At-large District 7

General runoff election

General runoff election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7

Angel Bowen Brown and Clyde Jackson Jr. ran in the general runoff election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7 on June 18, 2024.

Candidate
Angel Bowen Brown (Nonpartisan)
Clyde Jackson Jr. (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board At-large District 7

General election

General election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7

The following candidates ran in the general election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7 on May 21, 2024.


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Houston County District school board District 1

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 1

Incumbent Rick Unruh and Tim Riley ran in the general election for Houston County District school board District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
Rick Unruh (Nonpartisan)
Tim Riley (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 3

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 3

Incumbent Dave Crockett ran in the general election for Houston County District school board District 3 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
Dave Crockett (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 5

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 5

Incumbent Helen Hughes ran in the general election for Houston County District school board District 5 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
Helen Hughes (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board At-large District 7

General election

General election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7

Incumbent Bryan Upshaw won election in the general election for Houston County District school board At-large District 7 on May 24, 2016.

Candidate
Image of Bryan Upshaw
Bryan Upshaw (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 1

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 1

Incumbent Rick Unruh won election in the general election for Houston County District school board District 1 on May 24, 2016.

Candidate
Image of Rick Unruh
Rick Unruh (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 3

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 3

Incumbent Dave Crockett won election in the general election for Houston County District school board District 3 on May 24, 2016.

Candidate
Dave Crockett (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 5

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 5

Incumbent Helen Hughes won election in the general election for Houston County District school board District 5 on May 24, 2016.

Candidate
Helen Hughes (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board At-large District 6

General election

General election for Houston County District school board At-large District 6

Incumbent Hoke Morrow won election in the general election for Houston County District school board At-large District 6 on July 22, 2014.

Candidate
Image of Hoke Morrow
Hoke Morrow (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 2

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 2

Incumbent Marianne Melnick won election in the general election for Houston County District school board District 2 on May 20, 2014.

Candidate
Image of Marianne Melnick
Marianne Melnick (Nonpartisan)

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Houston County District school board District 4

General election

General election for Houston County District school board District 4

Incumbent Fred Wilson won election in the general election for Houston County District school board District 4 on May 20, 2014.

Candidate
Image of Fred Wilson
Fred Wilson (Nonpartisan)

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Election rules

 

Election dates and frequency

See also: Rules governing school board election dates and timing

Public school districts holding nonpartisan school board elections governed by default state law hold general elections on the Tuesday in the 24th week before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years. This means the general election is in the fourth week of May.

Public school districts holding nonpartisan school board elections according to default state law hold a general runoff election 28 days following the May general election if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the general election. This means a general runoff election is held in the fourth week of June if needed.

Public school districts holding partisan elections governed by default state law hold primary elections on the Tuesday in the 24th week before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years. This means the primary election is held in the fourth week of May in even-numbered years.

Public school districts holding partisan elections governed by default state law hold primary runoff elections 28 days following the May primary election if no candidate for a given political party receives a majority of votes in the primary election. This means a primary runoff election is held in the fourth week of June in even-numbered years if needed.

Public school districts holding partisan school board elections governed by default state law hold general elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in even-numbered years.

Public school districts holding partisan elections governed by default state law hold general runoff elections 28 days following the November general election if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the general election. This means a general runoff election is held in the first week of December in even-numbered years if needed.

According to its district charter enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, the Atlanta Public Schools district holds its nonpartisan school board general election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every two years in odd-numbered years.

The Atlanta Public Schools district holds a general runoff election 28 days following the November general election if no candidate receives a majority of votes in the general election. This means a general runoff election is held in the first week of December in odd-numbered years if needed.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 21-2-139 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-501 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-150
and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-150 and Section 21-2-152
and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-150 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-150 and Section 21-2-501
and Atlanta Public Schools District Charter

Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts with nonpartisan elections held according to default state law

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts with nonpartisan elections held according to default state law. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: March 6, 2026
  • General election date: May 19, 2026
  • General runoff election date: June 16, 2026
Recent or upcoming election dates for school districts that have opted to hold partisan elections according to default state law

Below are the recent/upcoming dates for school districts that have opted to hold partisan elections according to default state law. There may be exceptions to these dates for specific districts because of local charters and district-specific exceptions and carve-outs.

  • Filing deadline date: March 6, 2026
  • Primary election date: May 19, 2026
  • Primary runoff election date: June 16, 2026
  • General election date: November 3, 2026
  • General runoff election date: December 1, 2026


Election system

Public school districts holding nonpartisan school board elections governed by default state law elect school board members through a system of a general election and a general runoff election if needed.

Public school districts holding partisan school board elections governed by default state law elect school board members through a system of a primary election, a primary runoff election if needed, a general election, and a general runoff election if needed.

According to its district charter enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, the Atlanta Public Schools district elects school board members through a system of a general election and a general runoff election if needed.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 21-2-139 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-150 and Atlanta Public Schools District Charter

Party labels on the ballot

See also: Rules governing party labels in school board elections

State law allows for school boards to be elected either in partisan elections with party primaries nominating candidates or in nonpartisan elections without primaries. In partisan elections, the party affiliations of party nominees are displayed on the ballot. In nonpartisan elections, candidates are listed on the ballot without party labels. As of 2021, 109 school districts (61%) had nonpartisan elections. Georgia Statute Section Section 20-2-56 says, "the General Assembly may provide by local law for the election in nonpartisan elections of candidates to fill the offices of members of boards of education." Georgia Statue Section 21-2-139 says, "Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter to the contrary, the General Assembly may provide by local Act for the election in nonpartisan elections of candidates to fill county judicial offices, offices of local boards of education, and offices of consolidated governments which are filled by the vote of the electors of said county or political subdivision."

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Statute Section 20-2-56 and Section 21-2-139

Winning an election

In Georgia, for both primary and general elections, if no school board candidate receives a majority of votes, the top two candidates with the most votes advance to a runoff election. In a primary election, if a school board candidate receives a majority of votes, that candidate is elected as the party's nominee in the general election. If not candidate gets a majority of votes, a primary runoff election is held between the top two candidates with the most votes to determine the party's nominee. In a general election, if a school board candidate receives a majority of votes, that candidate is elected to office. If no candidate receives a majority of votes in the general, a general runoff election is held between the top two candidates with the most votes to determine which is elected to office.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 21-2-139 and Section 21-2-150

Term length and staggering

Georgia Statute provides that public school districts have four-year board member terms except that the General Assembly can provide for shorter or longer terms for specific districts. As of 2022, 172 districts (96%) had four-year school board terms.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 20-2-52

School boards in Georgia have staggered terms by default, with as close to half of board seats as possible generally elected to four-year terms every two years. Term length and staggering can be changed through special acts. County school districts with a homestead option sales and use tax and a county sales and use tax for educational purposes must have school boards with staggered four-year terms.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 20-2-52.1 and Section 20-2-52

Representation: at large vs. by sub-district

In Georgia, school board members are elected at large, by sub-district, or through a combination of the two depending on the district. County school districts with a homestead option sales and use tax and a county sales and use tax for educational purposes must elect all of their school board members from single-member districts. As of 2021, 110 districts (61%) elected all board members by single-member sub-districts, 52 districts (29%) elected board members through a combination of at large and by sub-district, and 18 districts (10%) elected board members at large.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 20-2-52.1

Filing deadlines and swearing-in dates

In Georgia, the filing deadline for school board candidates running in nonpartisan elections according to default state law is 12 p.m. on the Friday following the Monday in the eleventh week before the May general election. This means the school board candidate filing deadline for these districts is in the first half of March of even-numbered years. School board candidates must file notices of candidacy in the office of the school district superintendent. Georgia Statute says that the filing deadlines are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

In Georgia, the filing deadline for school board candidates running in partisan elections is 12 p.m. on the Friday following the Monday in the eleventh week before the May primary election. This means the school board candidate filing deadline for these districts is in the first half of March of even-numbered years. School board candidates must file notices of candidacy in the office of the school district superintendent. Georgia Statute says that the filing deadlines are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

The candidate filing deadline for Atlanta Public Schools district school board elections is 12 p.m. on the Friday following the Monday in the eleventh week before the district's November odd-year elections, which means the filing deadline is in late August of odd-numbered years. School board candidates must file notices of candidacy in the office of the school district superintendent. Georgia Statute says that the filing deadlines are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 21-2-132 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-153 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-132 and Atlanta Public Schools District Charter

In Georgia, school board candidates running in nonpartisan elections according to default state law can file notices of candidacy beginning at 9 a.m. on the Monday in the eleventh week before the May general election. This means the school board candidate filing window begins for these districts in early March of even-numbered years four days before the filing deadline. Georgia Statute says that the filing period start dates are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

In Georgia, school board candidates running in partisan elections can file notices of candidacy beginning at 9 a.m. on the Monday in the eleventh week before the May primary election. This means the school board candidate filing window begins for these districts in early March of even-numbered years four days before the filing deadline. Georgia Statute says that the filing period start dates are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

School board candidates running for the Atlanta Public Schools district board can file notices of candidacy beginning at 9 a.m. on the Monday in the eleventh week before the November general election. This means the school board candidate filing window begins for these districts in mid-August of odd-numbered years four days before the filing deadline. Georgia Statute says that the filing period start dates are not adjusted or advanced because of legal holidays.

DocumentIcon.jpg See law: Georgia Statute Section 21-2-132 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-153 and Georgia Statute Section 21-2-132 and Atlanta Public Schools District Charter


 


About the district

School board

The Houston County School District consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members
NameSeatYear assumed officeYear term ends
Clyde JacksonAt-large District 72024
Dave CrockettDistrict 320222028
Rick UnruhDistrict 120132028
Helen HughesDistrict 520092028
Mark IvoryAt-large District 620222027
Jon NicholsDistrict 420222027
Lori JohnsonDistrict 220152026

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District map

Overlapping state house districts

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]

Revenue, 2021-2022
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $70,425,000 $2,329 15%
Local: $148,585,000 $4,913 32%
State: $239,610,000 $7,923 52%
Total: $458,620,000 $15,165
Expenditures, 2021-2022
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $445,592,000 $14,733
Total Current Expenditures: $399,393,000 $13,206
Instructional Expenditures: $251,751,000 $8,324 56%
Student and Staff Support: $38,320,000 $1,267 9%
Administration: $39,228,000 $1,297 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $70,094,000 $2,317 16%
Total Capital Outlay: $44,706,000 $1,478
Construction: $43,810,000 $1,448
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $1,017,000 $33
Interest on Debt: $471,000 $15

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 43 72 24 39 40-59 49 59
2018-2019 50 76 33 47 40-59 53 64
2017-2018 48 73 31 45 50-59 51 61
2016-2017 46 69 30 43 60-69 49 59
2015-2016 46 68 30 42 50-59 45 59
2014-2015 41 67 24 37 40-59 44 53
2013-2014 84 93 78 83 >=80 87 89
2012-2013 89 97 82 89 >=80 91 93
2011-2012 87 94 81 88 >=80 90 91
2010-2011 91 95 84 91 >=80 94 95

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 46 70 30 40 40-59 54 60
2018-2019 48 67 34 45 60-79 53 61
2017-2018 44 66 30 40 40-59 50 56
2016-2017 45 59 31 40 60-79 50 56
2015-2016 42 54 28 37 40-49 44 53
2014-2015 39 58 26 34 40-59 43 49
2013-2014 96 98 94 95 >=80 97 98
2012-2013 96 97 94 96 >=80 97 98
2011-2012 95 95 92 96 >=80 98 97
2010-2011 94 92 90 93 >=90 96 97

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 90 >=95 88 80-84 PS 85-89 92
2018-2019 88 >=95 87 85-89 PS 80-84 89
2017-2018 87 85-89 86 80-84 PS 90-94 88
2016-2017 88 85-89 86 80-84 85-89 90
2015-2016 87 >=90 84 80-84 PS 85-89 89
2014-2015 85 90-94 80 75-79 PS 90-94 88
2013-2014 77 80-89 69 70-74 75-79 84
2012-2013 79 90-94 74 70-74 >=50 80-89 82
2011-2012 76 >=90 70 65-69 PS 80-89 79
2010-2011 73 80-89 65 60-64 PS 70-79 79

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2023-2024 30,826 0.6
2022-2023 30,631 1.3
2021-2022 30,243 1.9
2020-2021 29,681 -1.8
2019-2020 30,221 1.5
2018-2019 29,770 0.9
2017-2018 29,490 1.7
2016-2017 29,003 1.6
2015-2016 28,530 1.3
2014-2015 28,146 0.7
2013-2014 27,948 1.2
2012-2013 27,610 0.6
2011-2012 27,435 1.4
2010-2011 27,061 1.0
2009-2010 26,787 1.9
2008-2009 26,285 1.4
2007-2008 25,921 2.8
2006-2007 25,193 2.3
2005-2006 24,608 2.5
2004-2005 23,998 2.5
2003-2004 23,395 3.0
2002-2003 22,699 2.2
2001-2002 22,189 3.0
2000-2001 21,529 0.7
1999-2000 21,389 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2023-2024
RACE Houston County School District (%) Georgia K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.2 0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 2.8 4.9
Black 40.8 36.2
Hispanic 11.8 18.8
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 7.1 4.8
White 37.2 35.0

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]

As of the 2023-2024 school year, Houston County School District had 2,038.90 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.12.

Teachers, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 60.00
Kindergarten: 119.20
Elementary: 743.60
Secondary: 796.30
Total: 2,038.90

Houston County School District employed 52.00 district administrators and 141.40 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.

Administrators, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 52.00
District Administrative Support: 66.00
School Administrators: 141.40
School Administrative Support: 140.40
Other staff, 2023-2024 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 469.30
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 41.80
Total Guidance Counselors: 68.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 25.40
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 42.60
Librarians/Media Specialists: 38.00
Library/Media Support: 4.00
Student Support Services: 187.70
Other Support Services: 1,099.90

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]

The Houston County School District operates 37 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Bonaire Elementary School5763-5
Bonaire Middle School1,1346-8
Bonaire Primary School603PK-2
C. B. Watson Primary School573PK-2
Centerville Elementary School632PK-5
David A. Perdue Elementary School6413-5
David A. Perdue Primary678PK-2
Eagle Springs Elementary689PK-5
Feagin Mill Middle School9436-8
Hilltop Elementary School591PK-5
Houston County High School2,1169-12
Huntington Middle School8316-8
Kings Chapel Elementary School655PK-5
Lake Joy Elementary School6513-5
Lake Joy Primary School625PK-2
Langston Road Elementary School423PK-5
Langston Road Primary School523PK-2
Matthew Arthur Elementary School882PK-5
Miller Elementary School504PK-5
Morningside Elementary School484PK-5
Mossy Creek Middle School7706-8
Northside Elementary School571PK-5
Northside High School1,9359-12
Northside Middle School8386-8
Parkwood Elementary School706PK-5
Pearl Stephens Elementary School4393-5
Perry High School1,5849-12
Perry Middle School1,1196-8
Quail Run Elementary School656PK-5
Russell Elementary School592PK-5
Shirley Hills Elementary School547PK-5
Thomson Middle School7176-8
Tucker Elementary School493PK-5
Veterans High School1,9379-12
Warner Robins High School1,8159-12
Warner Robins Middle School7966-8
Westside Elementary School557PK-5

School board meetings

The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.

School board meeting articles (click to collapse)

About school boards

Education legislation in Georgia

Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.

See also

School Boards Education Policy Local Politics Georgia
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External links

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  • Footnotes