March 21, 2025 - The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) has released the Financial Efficiency ratings for schools in Georgia. The Monroe County School District shows high comparable student achievement relative to spending per student. Monroe County Schools earned a 4-star rating in the latest scores of Financial Efficiency from GOSA, ranking in the 37th percentile statewide in spending per student while achieving a system average of 86 on the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). That means the district spends a relatively low amount per student while simultaneously getting high student performance. The 4-star rating in 2024 represents an improvement over 2019 when MCS was given a 3-star rating.
The Financial Efficiency Star Rating (FESR) system provides a comparison of district spending per student with overall academic performance. The goal of the star rating is to inform stakeholders how efficiently districts are spending money relative to how well students are performing on the Georgia Milestones state assessment. The ratings also provide a comparison of spending per student with overall academic performance across all districts in Georgia.
The matrix below shows the method for determining the FESR using both the Per Pupil Expenditures (PPE) percentile and the CCRPI scores. Monroe County Schools was evaluated to be in the green highlighted section of the matrix below.
Percentile of average PPE | CCRPI Average: Less than 50 | CCRPI Average: 50-59.9 | CCRPI Average: 60-69.9 | CCRPI Average: 70-79.9 | CCRPI Average: 80-89.9 | CCRPI Average: 90-100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
81-100 (High Spending) | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
61-80 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
41-60 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
21-40 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 |
0-20 (Low Spending) | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
District scores can range between one-half star and five stars. Districts with a one-half-star rating indicate high pupil expenditures and low CCRPI scores. Those with a five-star rating indicate lower pupil expenditures and high CCRPI scores. It is important to note that the 2024 ratings are based on a three-year average (2018-2019, 2022-2023, and 2023-2024) of PPE and CCRPI scores.
“Our district’s 4-star Financial Efficiency rating is the latest success story in Monroe County Schools”, said Dr. Jim Finch, Superintendent. “The long and short of this is that our district gets the most bang for its buck, meaning we are strategic and focused on the amount of money we have to spend to get the type of results we want. This rating indicates our expenditures are producing high student achievement outcomes without exorbitant spending. Kudos to our students, teachers, staff, administrators, BOE members, and community!”
For additional information visit the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.