City: Atlanta, GA

Category: Education

Telephone: (770) 963-8651

Address: 52 Gwinnett Dr.

Description: In fast-growing Gwinnett, the public school is the 15th largest in the nation. One example of this north metro county’s booming growth is North Gwinnett High School, which had 1,700 students in the 1999–2000 school year, 2,200 in the 2000–01 year, and enrolled more than 3,000 in the 2009-10 year! Currently, 125 schools serve more than 176,000 students, who enroll according to cluster attendance zones. (A cluster is a geographical area containing three to four elementary schools, one or two middle schools, and a high school.) Gwinnett provides educational opportunities through its vocational education center, special education center, community schools program, and Gwinnett Technical Institute, the state’s largest vocational/technical school. With more than 15,500 employees, the school district is one of the largest employers in the county. The student-teacher ratio averages 22 to 1. Currently, 72 percent of Gwinnett’s teachers have at least a master’s degree. All grades and all schools offer gifted education programs; the system also offers enrichment opportunities in such areas as art, music, foreign language, drama, and debate. Extracurricular activities include athletics, service and social clubs, Odyssey of the Mind, and many academic teams. Each elementary school offers a full-day kindergarten program. Gwinnett’s students and educators are recognized regularly for outstanding achievement. Twenty-three schools were honored in 2008 for their academic achievement and improvement efforts. Thirteen Gwinnett schools have been named National Schools of Excellence; 37 are Georgia Schools of Excellence. Gwinnett students, educators, and schools are recognized regularly for outstanding achievement in academics and in extracurricular areas. About 87 percent of graduates continue education. All high schools offer advanced placement courses, joint enrollment with area colleges, and work/study programs.