Here are some numbers I calculated from the web the other day. These numbers have not been verified with the various county schools systems for accuracy. Where I could find the information, I tried to use general expenditures divided by the number of students reported. 

I would suggest to our school board in Dawson County to have a ten year history done with accurate numbers of surrounding counties and to publish that comparative history for the public so we may see how our tax dollars are spent.

Bench marking is a tried and true comparative system that just about nobody likes because it forces you to think about money on some other basis than just raw dollars.  As you can see public education is not cheap.

My numbers suggest that smaller school systems may need to watch their administrative costs very carefully.

Approximate annual costs per student for public education:

National Average- $11,800

Dawson- $11,800

Pickens- $10,400

Lumpkin- $9,000

Forsyth- $8,700

Hall- $9,700

Cherokee- $8,600

Fannin- $11,500

Gilmer- $9,300

Gary Pichon

Marble Hill