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Paulding County School District, Georgia, elections

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Paulding County School District
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District details
School board members: 7
Students: 31,518 (2022-2023)
Schools: 33 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

Paulding County School District is a school district in Georgia (Paulding County). During the 2023 school year, 31,518 students attended one of the district's 33 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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Paulding County School District school board At-large

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board At-large

Incumbent Jeff Fuller and Sasha Johnson ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board At-large on November 5, 2024.


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Paulding County School District school board District 1

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 1

Incumbent Theresa Lyons ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 1 on November 5, 2024.


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Paulding County School District school board District 3

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 3

Incumbent Adam Clayton and Antoinette Richards ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 3 on November 5, 2024.


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Paulding County School District school board District 4

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 4

Incumbent Deborah S. Collett ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 4 on November 5, 2024.


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Paulding County School District school board District 2

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 2

Incumbent Nick Chester Sr. ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 2 on November 8, 2022.


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Paulding County School District school board District 5

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 5

Incumbent John B. Dean ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 5 on November 8, 2022.


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Paulding County School District school board District 6

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 6

Incumbent Daniel Nolan III and Selena Jackson Guines ran in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 6 on November 8, 2022.


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Paulding County School District school board At-large

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board At-large

Incumbent Jeff Fuller won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board At-large on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
Jeff Fuller (R)

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Paulding County School District school board District 1

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 1

Incumbent Theresa Lyons won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 1 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
Image of Theresa Lyons
Theresa Lyons (R)

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Paulding County School District school board District 3

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 3

Incumbent Kim Cobb won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 3 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
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Kim Cobb (R)

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Paulding County School District school board District 4

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 4

Incumbent Glen Albright won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 4 on November 8, 2016.

Candidate
Glen Albright (R)

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Paulding County School District school board District 2

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 2

Incumbent Nicholas Chester won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 2 on November 4, 2014.


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Paulding County School District school board District 5

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 5

Incumbent Sammy McClure won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 5 on November 4, 2014.

Candidate
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Sammy McClure (R)

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Paulding County School District school board District 6

General election

General election for Paulding County School District school board District 6

Incumbent Kim Curl won election in the general election for Paulding County School District school board District 6 on November 4, 2014.

Candidate
Image of Kim Curl
Kim Curl (R)

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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 Paulding 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
Nicholas ChesterDistrict 2
Adam ClaytonDistrict 3
Deborah CollettDistrict 4
John DeanDistrict 5
Theresa LyonsDistrict 1
Dan NolanDistrict 6
Jeff Fuller2017

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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, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $35,581,000 $1,187 10%
Local: $138,557,000 $4,624 37%
State: $197,445,000 $6,589 53%
Total: $371,583,000 $12,400
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $350,205,000 $11,686
Total Current Expenditures: $327,542,000 $10,930
Instructional Expenditures: $211,586,000 $7,060 60%
Student and Staff Support: $39,043,000 $1,302 11%
Administration: $27,824,000 $928 8%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $49,089,000 $1,638 14%
Total Capital Outlay: $18,826,000 $628
Construction: $14,710,000 $490
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $0 $0
Interest on Debt: $3,546,000 $118

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 39 50-54 25 32 21-39 36 46
2018-2019 45 65-69 32 41 30-39 41 51
2017-2018 44 65-69 31 39 30-39 42 50
2016-2017 44 65-69 32 39 30-39 41 49
2015-2016 44 70-74 31 39 40-49 41 49
2014-2015 40 65-69 28 36 30-39 35 45
2013-2014 80 85-89 74 80 70-79 78 82
2012-2013 85 90-94 80 85 80-89 85 86
2011-2012 80 90-94 74 81 70-79 80 82
2010-2011 85 90-94 80 85 80-89 84 87

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 42 50-54 33 36 21-39 42 47
2018-2019 49 60-64 39 45 40-49 49 54
2017-2018 43 55-59 34 39 40-49 43 47
2016-2017 46 60-64 35 40 40-49 44 50
2015-2016 42 55-59 32 40 40-49 38 46
2014-2015 40 60-64 29 37 50-59 37 43
2013-2014 95 >=95 93 95 >=90 94 96
2012-2013 95 >=95 93 95 80-89 96 96
2011-2012 94 >=95 92 95 >=90 95 95
2010-2011 92 >=95 90 93 80-89 93 93

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 91 >=80 88 85-89 >=50 85-89 92
2018-2019 89 >=90 87 85-89 PS 85-89 90
2017-2018 86 >=80 87 85-89 >=50 80-84 87
2016-2017 85 >=80 86 80-84 80-84 85
2015-2016 82 >=50 83 80-84 >=50 85-89 82
2014-2015 80 >=80 81 80-84 PS 75-79 79
2013-2014 78 >=80 76 75-79 80-84 78
2012-2013 78 >=50 76 75-79 >=50 80-84 79
2011-2012 75 60-79 71 70-74 >=50 70-74 77
2010-2011 76 >=80 72 70-74 >=50 80-84 77

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 (%)
2022-2023 31,518 1.2
2021-2022 31,129 3.7
2020-2021 29,966 -1.8
2019-2020 30,496 1.8
2018-2019 29,962 1.8
2017-2018 29,425 1.4
2016-2017 29,018 1.3
2015-2016 28,643 0.5
2014-2015 28,488 0.2
2013-2014 28,434 0.1
2012-2013 28,408 0.6
2011-2012 28,237 -0.6
2010-2011 28,407 -0.1
2009-2010 28,444 1.9
2008-2009 27,908 3.8
2007-2008 26,857 4.4
2006-2007 25,669 7.5
2005-2006 23,731 8.4
2004-2005 21,732 5.9
2003-2004 20,459 5.7
2002-2003 19,283 6.4
2001-2002 18,048 8.1
2000-2001 16,587 8.2
1999-2000 15,233 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Paulding County School District (%) Georgia K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.2 0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 1.2 4.7
Black 30.0 36.4
Hispanic 12.4 18.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1
Two or More Races 5.8 4.6
White 50.4 35.9

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 2022-2023 school year, Paulding County School District had 2,100.00 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 15.01.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 22.00
Kindergarten: 125.10
Elementary: 787.50
Secondary: 808.50
Total: 2,100.00

Paulding County School District employed 27.00 district administrators and 100.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 27.00
District Administrative Support: 44.00
School Administrators: 100.00
School Administrative Support: 119.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 415.00
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 130.00
Total Guidance Counselors: 69.50
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 24.50
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 45.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 33.00
Library/Media Support: 32.00
Student Support Services: 152.00
Other Support Services: 723.00

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 Paulding County School District operates 33 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Allgood Elementary School812PK-5
Bessie L. Baggett Elementary589PK-5
Burnt Hickory Elementary School1,044PK-5
Carl Scoggins Sr. Middle School7606-8
C. A. Roberts Elementary School677PK-5
Connie Dugan Elementary School662PK-5
Dallas Elementary School502PK-5
East Paulding High School1,9059-12
East Paulding Middle School8586-8
Floyd L. Shelton Elementary School At Crossroad1,439PK-5
Hal Hutchens Elementary635PK-5
Herschel Jones Middle School8076-8
Hiram Elementary School816PK-5
Hiram High School1,4689-12
Irma C. Austin Middle School7926-8
J. A. Dobbins Middle School5326-8
Lena Mae Moses Middle School9076-8
Lillian C. Poole Elementary School470PK-5
Mcgarity Elementary School591PK-5
Nebo Elementary School721PK-5
New Georgia Elementary School427PK-5
North Paulding High School2,9869-12
Northside Elementary School644PK-5
Paulding County High School2,0059-12
P. B. Ritch Middle School7556-8
Roland W. Russom Elementary936PK-5
Sam D. Panter Elementary School511PK-5
Sammy Mcclure Sr. Middle School1,5366-8
Sara M. Ragsdale Elementary604PK-5
South Paulding High School1,9119-12
South Paulding Middle School4816-8
Union Elementary School465PK-5
Wc Abney Elementary1,270PK-5

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External links

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