Community and School District Profile

Bartow County is located in the Northwest Georgia Regional Development Area in the scenic foothills of Georgia's Appalachian Mountains. It was created from the Cherokee County territory, incorporated on December 3^rd, 1832 and called Cass County until renamed in 1861 in honor of Francis S. Bartow. Strategically located as a prime area for growth in agriculture, manufacturing and industry, Bartow County is approximately 45 miles northwest of the city limits of Atlanta and included in the Metro Atlanta Service Area. It is home to Allatoona Lake, Etowah Indians Mounds, Red Top Mountain State Park, Booth Western Art Museum, Tellus Museum and Barnsley Gardens.

Bartow County 's population stands at 97,098 based on the Cartersville-Bartow Economic Development Demographic Profile and Census estimates. This source indicates that by 2013, Bartow County's population will be 112,137 with a projected 2.92% growth per year.  Around the perimeter of Bartow County is a hub of educational institutes including Kennesaw State University, Shorter College, Berry College, Georgia Highlands College and North Metro Technical College.  Bartow County has maintained a strong sense of community and tradition.

Other demographic characteristics for Bartow County are as follows:

· Median age is 35.6 years
· 21.2% of the population is age 5-19
· 10% of the population is age 65 or older
· 63.3% of the population is married
· 84.5 % White, 10.4% Black, 4.9% Hispanic
· Average family size is 3.14
· 83.2% have a high school diploma or higher, 15.0% have a college bachelor's degree or better
· Median household income is $54,346
· Per capita is $22,683
· Current Unemployment Rate is 11.4%

As the 25th largest school district in the state of Georgia, Bartow County School System is home to approximately 14,178 students. There are 21 schools in Bartow County, each accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. These include 12 elementary, 4 middle, and 3 high schools, as well as Stars Pre-K, a state funded center, and the Bartow Academy Alternative School. Of the total student population: 80% are White, 8% are Black and 7% are Hispanic. Bartow County reports 52% of students are economically disadvantaged, 12.5% are students with disabilities and 4% are English Language Learners.

Student Demographics

Teacher Quality

The commitment statement of the Bartow County School System is Graduation and Beyond - Creating Lifelong Learners .  With the understanding that quality teachers produce quality students, the Bartow County School System believes that all students should have equitable opportunities to quality instructional programs in regards to teacher experience. With 2081 employees, the Bartow County School System is the largest employer in Bartow County and has an annual $122,000,000 general fund budget. Of the 1228 certified employees, 55% hold a Masters degree or higher. The average number of teaching years is reported as 10.8 years and 16.7% of teachers in Bartow County have high-level teaching experience of more than 20 years. Bartow County has focused on all teachers being highly qualified in their core content and the percentage of non-highly qualified teachers has decreased significantly over the last two years. The percentage of highly qualified teachers among all Bartow County teachers is 99.2%, and 100% of paraprofessionals are highly qualified.

Highly Qualified Statistics for 2008-2009 Academic Year

Many Bartow County employees have received numerous honors and awards including grants awarded by the Bartow Education Foundation and Autism in Bartow Foundation. Other past awards include: Platinum and Gold School State Awards, Title I Distinguished School Awards, Georgia Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year, Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame, Georgia Master Teacher, and Bartow County Teacher of the Year. In addition, Bartow County teachers have presented at state conferences including the Convention for Exceptional Children, as well as Georgia Department of Education workshops.

Currently, a new replacement school for Cass High is being built to accommodate 2000 students and will open its doors in August 2010. A 13 classroom addition is being completed for Woodland High along with 2 additions each to the Science and Computer Labs. Land has been purchased for new schools for Adairsville Middle, Emerson Elementary and Cloverleaf Elementary. A commitment for a 40 acre building site has been reached for Adairsville Primary and Adairsville Elementary. Bartow County's building efforts have been achieved through Special Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) and Georgia State Finance and Investment Commission (GSFIC) funding. Due to the growth of the area, the Bartow County School System is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its student population.

The district utilizes profile information in the continuous improvement process. This profile which includes demographic and assessment information is updated regularly from the Georgia Department of Education, Office of Student Achievement and locally produced resources. Please visit our website, www.bartow.k12.ga.us for further information.