SYSTEM PROFILE

2011-12 Student Population = ~ 4184
Classroom Teachers = 275
2011-12 Budget = $ 33,443,400
2011 Millage Rate = 17.23
Expenditure per student (2010) = $ 8645.20
Average Georgia expenditure per student (2010) = $ 8761.39
Average Daily Attendance = 96.1 %

[Updated September 2011]

  Incorporated in 1850 and established as the county seat following the Civil War, Cartersville has thrived as a quality city located 40 miles north of Atlanta along the ever-growing I-75 corridor.  With a rich history in mining resources, abundant agriculture and more recently commercial manufacturing and industry, Cartersville is strategically located on the outskirts of metropolitan Atlanta .  The city is close enough to downtown Atlanta to avail itself to anything offered by a major city, but far enough away not to be a part of the commotion of big city life.  Located within Bartow County , the city of Cartersville has an honored history while simultaneously standing ready to embrace the inevitable changes of the future.

  With a population of over 19,700 residents and ranking 44^th in terms of population size among Georgia’s cities, Cartersville boasts a rich standard of quality living.  Visitors as well as residents have come to recognize the balance of a small town atmosphere and one that is culturally blessed.  Cartersville is the home of several nationally recognized museums generally not found in cities of the size of Cartersville.  The Booth Western Art Museum houses the country’s largest permanent exhibition space for western art.  The museum exhibits original works of every United States President since Georgia Washington.  The Tellus Science Museum offers a world class 120,000 square foot interactive gallery dedicated to science exploration and exhibition included a state-of-the-art planetarium.  The Etowah Indian Mounds are the focus of the most intact display of Mississippian Culture in the Southeast United States .  These features coupled with quality parks and nearby recreation facilities make Cartersville a desirable place to dwell.

Manufacturing and retail industries make up the majority of the commercial development in Cartersville.  The latest data (2009) shows the median household income for Bartow County is $46,981 compared to Georgia ’s $47,469.  Recent data indicate that the county’s unemployment rate (10.8%) exceeds that of the state average (10.1%).  The community has ready access and proximity to several post-secondary educational institutions including Georgia Highlands College , Kennesaw State University , Shorter University , Berry College and Chattahoochee Technical College .  Statistical data indicate that 16.7% of the county population possesses a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to a state value of 27.1%. 

  The city school district also enjoys a history steeped in tradition and excellence.  One of 21 independent public school systems in the state of Georgia , Cartersville City is composed of four schools, each with an excellent reputation of quality.  Cartersville Primary School (CPS) houses students in Kindergarten through second grade; Cartersville Elementary (CES) has grades three through five; Cartersville Middle School (CMS) contains grades six through eight; and Cartersville High School (CHS) has grades nine through twelve.  The school system also operates a state-funded Pre-Kindergarten program in a separate facility but under the operational structure of the Primary School.  With this organizational pattern, there are no internal attendance zones and no feeder school patterns.  The community strongly supports this concept of having all students go to school together in a continuous flow as opposed to housing elementary students in multiple locations and feeding into one middle school.  The learning environment created by this organizational pattern has served student needs and is expected to continue for as long as possible.  Cartersville City Schools seeks to be a school system and not a system of schools.

  The system has an enrollment of approximately 4184 students (Pre-K – Grade 12) with 940-1125 per facility in the four schools.  The system has had a 6.3% net increase in enrollment in the last ten years.  Demographically, the school system reflects changing trends seen in the general community with 55.8% Caucasian, 22.7% African American, 15.4% Hispanic, and 5.9% all other ethnicities. Over the past ten years the school system has seen overall growth by about 300 students.  During this time period, the percentage of students qualifying for free and/or reduced lunch has climbed to 55%, nearly a 20% increase.  The school system enrolls approximately 320 non-resident K-12 students who apply and meet established criteria to attend the city schools and pay a nominal out-of-district fee. 

  The school system employs 490 people including 318 certified professionals (teachers, administrators and other leadership positions), 52 paraprofessionals, and 120 support staff.  Eighty percent (80%) of classroom teachers possess advanced degrees.  Teachers tend to come to Cartersville and stay.  The turnover rate among system professionals is relatively low at less than 15% and is largely due to retirements or staying home with young children.  For the last four years the school system has fully met requirements of No Child Left Behind legislation by having 100% of its teachers and paraprofessionals “highly qualified.”

  The Primary, Elementary and Middle Schools are Title I schools operating as school wide programs.  Each school in the district offers gifted education, art education, music education, and physical education instructed by in-field content certified teachers.  In addition to a strong college preparatory program of study, the high school offers career/technical programs in business, technology, health care science, and automotive services.  The business and automotive programs hold industry certification status.  Additionally, several high school students take advantage of joint enrollment programs offered at nearby colleges and universities.  Each of the schools within the Cartersville City district has been continuously accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since their initial accreditation (Primary School - 1988, Elementary School - 1967, Middle School - 1967, High School - 1914).

Despite ongoing cuts in state funding and decreases in the local tax digest, the school system is financially stable. The School Board has had a constant tax millage rate of 17.23 over the past six years without any increase. One mil of local taxation currently generates $897,000. Approximately 52% of the system’s budget comes from local funds. State austerity cuts in the last ten years have amounted to a loss of over $11.6 million to the system. However, while many Georgia school systems have had to cut the number of school days for students and staff, Cartersville City continues to operate a school calendar of 180 days for students and 190 days for teachers.  Additionally, the system has not cut any programs or services to students during the economic downturn.

  The system has made a concentrated effort over the past several years to nearly cut in half its bond indebtedness from $32 million in 2005 to just under $17 million in 2012.  The citizenry of Cartersville and surrounding Bartow County have been especially supportive of the school system as evidenced by the passage of three Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) votes in 1997, 2002, 2007, and 2010 (passed in March 2010 for effect in 2012).  A significant portion of the 2007 and 2010 SPLOST proceeds are dedicated to retiring the bond debt and the system recently refinanced outstanding bonds to put it on track to be debt free as early as 2015.  Additionally, city residents have approved several school bond referenda to fund school construction and renovation efforts at the city schools.    In 2010, Cartersville City Schools petitioned the State Board of Education and was granted a System Charter under which the school system currently operates.  Cartersville became the ninth school system in Georgia to receive such a charter which provides flexibility and a blanket waiver from most state rules and regulations governing school operations.  In return the school has established far-reaching goals for itself as a contract with the state.  The flexibility granted by the charter is designed to optimize several advantages, including 1) the motivation to employ innovative ideas and creative solutions developed by staff, parents, and community; 2) the creation of flexible grouping and scheduling to allow expanded and enhanced opportunities without restrictive limits; 3) a greater opportunity to involve parents and the school to work collaboratively; and 4) the implementation of instructional segments that are not necessarily constrained by time and space barriers.  The philosophy behind the charter is to change the attitude of stakeholders from one of “we’ve always had to do it this way” to a culture of “let’s see how we can make this work.”   The school system has established four major academic goals found in its five-year Strategic Plan (and Charter).  Baseline data and progress toward meeting the system goals can be found in the system Strategic Plan.  The system goals are based upon analysis of historical achievement data.  The four academic goals are:

1)      All students will meet high academic standards by 2014-15.

2)      The percentage of students who exceed high academic standards will increase by 2014-15.

3)      The high school graduation rate will increase by at least 10% by 2014-15.

4)      The achievement gap (between identified ethnicity groups) will be reduced by 2014-15.

The reputation of the Cartersville City Schools continues to bring new students into the system who seek a quality education geared toward the success of each student. 

The Cartersville City School System is committed to its vision of “A Tradition of Excellence ~ Making It Personal.” 

The district utilizes profile information in the continuous improvement process.  The profile data which includes demographic and assessment information is updated regularly from Georgia Department of Education, Office of Student Achievement, and locally produced sources.