Northwest Whitfield County High School

Q: Is Northwest Whitfield County High School a good school?

Northwest Whitfield County High School ranks 156 th of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Northwest Whitfield County High School is a public high school located in Tunnel Hill, Georgia, serving 1,219 students in grades 9-12 and part of the Whitfield County School District.

Northwest Whitfield County High School consistently outperforms the Whitfield County and Georgia state averages in Milestones Assessment proficiency rates across various subjects, including American Literature and Composition, Algebra I, Biology, and United States History. The school also maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 92.2% to 95.4%, outperforming the state average. Additionally, Northwest Whitfield County High School has a relatively low student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending compared to the state average.

While Northwest Whitfield County High School outperforms its peers within the Whitfield County district, such as Southeast Whitfield County High School and Coahulla Creek High School, it lags behind the higher-performing Heritage High School in the Catoosa County district. Northwest Whitfield County High School also faces challenges related to the socioeconomic status of its student population, with a relatively high percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients compared to Heritage High School.

Detail:

Public 9-12

1651 Tunnel Hill Varnell Rd
Tunnel Hill, GA 30755

(706) 673-6533

District: Whitfield County

SchoolDigger Rank:
156^th of 458 Georgia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,538

Feeder schools for Northwest Whitfield County High School:

Elementary:	New Hope Elementary School
	Pleasant Grove Elementary School
	Tunnel Hill Elementary School
	Westside Elementary School
Middle:	New Hope Middle School
	Westside Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.6

Number of students: 1,219

Racial breakdown:

White:

59.6%

Hispanic:

33.2%

Two or more races:

3.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.7%

See top rated Georgia high schools

Compare Northwest Whitfield County High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Northwest Whitfield County High School ranks better than 65.9% of high schools in Georgia. It also ranks first among 4 ranked high schools in the Whitfield County School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 55.18. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Northwest Whitfield County High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Student Body

Compare Details Northwest Whitfield County High School has the largest high school student body size in the Whitfield County School District. (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Northwest Whitfield County High School is $8,538, which is the 2^nd highest among 4 high schools in the Whitfield County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Northwest Whitfield County High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Northwest Whitfield County High School 156^th of 458 Georgia public high schools. (See Northwest Whitfield County High School in the ranking list.)

Whitfield County:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitfield County 88^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Northwest Whitfield County High School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	55.15	138^th	335	58.8%
2007	66.75	93^rd	358	74.0%
2008	70.46	86^th	370	76.8%
2009	73.62	73^rd	372	80.4%
2010	69.82	96^th	384	75.0%
2011	66.21	116^th	402	71.1%
2012	64.21	117^th	396	70.5%
2013	65.67	105^th	425	75.3%
2014	62.82	113^th	425	73.4%
2015	62.30	94^th	435	78.4%
2016	53.19	137^th	426	67.8%
2017	53.68	120^th	420	71.4%
2018	54.34	137^th	428	68.0%
2019	56.08	134^th	438	69.4%
2021	51.17	159^th	410	61.2%
2022	53.82	147^th	429	65.7%
2023	62.86	107^th	442	75.8%
2024	55.18	156^th	458	65.9%

See the entire list of Georgia High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Northwest Whitfield County High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1295	1295
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	1314	1314
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1398	1398
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1430	1430
1994	1410	19	1	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	1436
1995	1412	21	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	1445
1996	1412	21	1	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	1445
1997	1424	22	6	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	1468
1998	1412	21	3	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	1466
1999	1473	28	4	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	1547
2000	1470	29	9	68	1	n/a	n/a	0	1577
2001	1484	36	9	106	1	n/a	n/a	0	1636
2002	1486	39	9	152	1	n/a	n/a	0	1687
2003	1486	39	9	152	1	n/a	n/a	0	1687
2004	1514	41	12	194	1	n/a	n/a	0	1762
2005	1583	39	14	218	1	n/a	n/a	35	1890
2006	1523	54	20	269	1	n/a	n/a	35	1902
2007	1464	55	22	291	1	n/a	n/a	36	1869
2008	1334	63	14	266	3	n/a	n/a	41	1721
2009	1367	56	19	265	4	n/a	n/a	54	1765
2010	1348	60	17	320	12	2	48	0	1807
2011	1336	59	17	343	10	1	51	0	1817
2012	990	37	13	253	5	0	42	0	1340
2013	932	44	17	282	2	0	41	0	1318
2014	891	42	18	319	4	0	36	0	1310
2015	903	32	19	344	3	0	29	0	1330
2016	871	33	15	365	3	0	40	0	1327
2017	910	25	15	360	4	0	44	0	1358
2018	853	15	15	381	4	0	44	0	1312
2019	824	22	20	389	6	1	54	0	1316
2020	813	17	23	400	3	1	43	0	1300
2021	785	20	18	422	3	1	45	0	1294
2022	758	21	17	413	7	1	49	0	1266
2023	727	22	13	405	5	1	46	0	1219

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Northwest Whitfield County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1295	76.0	17.0	2.5
1991	1314	77.0	17.0	4
1992	1398	76.0	18.3	5.2
1993	1430	61.0	23.4	5.9
1994	1436	79.2	18.1	7.2
1995	1445	83.5	17.3	7.9
1996	1445	83.5	17.3	7.9
1997	1468	86.5	17.0	8
1998	1466	90.0	16.3	13
1999	1547	91.4	16.9	13.6
2000	1577	96.5	16.3	13.6
2001	1636	96.5	17.0	14.9
2002	1687	112.8	15.0	23.7
2003	1687	112.8	15.0	23.7
2004	1762	110.7	15.9	28.3
2005	1890	109.3	17.3	30.5
2006	1902	100.2	19.0	33.7
2007	1869	102.7	18.2	37.3
2008	1721	100.5	17.1	36.8
2009	1765	103.3	17.1	41.7
2010	1807	101.3	17.8	42.9
2011	1817	90.2	20.1	46.4
2012	1340	76.6	17.4	45.9
2013	1318	70.1	18.8	52.7
2014	1310	66.6	19.6	52.1
2015	1330	66.0	20.1	54.3
2016	1327	82.0	16.1	50.7
2017	1358	67.9	20.0	52.5
2018	1312	69.5	18.8	51.2
2019	1316	72.3	18.2	50.2
2020	1300	71.5	18.1	48.6
2021	1294	71.2	18.1	41.1
2022	1266	72.1	17.5	n/a
2023	1219	73.1	16.6	48.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Northwest Whitfield County High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1295	76.0	17.0	2.5
1991	1314	77.0	17.0	4
1992	1398	76.0	18.3	5.2
1993	1430	61.0	23.4	5.9
1994	1436	79.2	18.1	7.2
1995	1445	83.5	17.3	7.9
1996	1445	83.5	17.3	7.9
1997	1468	86.5	17.0	8
1998	1466	90.0	16.3	13
1999	1547	91.4	16.9	13.6
2000	1577	96.5	16.3	13.6
2001	1636	96.5	17.0	14.9
2002	1687	112.8	15.0	23.7
2003	1687	112.8	15.0	23.7
2004	1762	110.7	15.9	28.3
2005	1890	109.3	17.3	30.5
2006	1902	100.2	19.0	33.7
2007	1869	102.7	18.2	37.3
2008	1721	100.5	17.1	36.8
2009	1765	103.3	17.1	41.7
2010	1807	101.3	17.8	42.9
2011	1817	90.2	20.1	46.4
2012	1340	76.6	17.4	45.9
2013	1318	70.1	18.8	52.7
2014	1310	66.6	19.6	52.1
2015	1330	66.0	20.1	54.3
2016	1327	82.0	16.1	50.7
2017	1358	67.9	20.0	52.5
2018	1312	69.5	18.8	51.2
2019	1316	72.3	18.2	50.2
2020	1300	71.5	18.1	48.6
2021	1294	71.2	18.1	41.1
2022	1266	72.1	17.5	n/a
2023	1219	73.1	16.6	48.7

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Northwest Whitfield County High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$702 (9.0%)	$7,126 (91.0%)	$7,828
2018	$288 (3.6%)	$7,649 (96.4%)	$7,936
2019	$374 (4.4%)	$8,164 (95.6%)	$8,538

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Northwest Whitfield County High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 134^th of 438 High schools	Ranks 107^th of 442 High schools	6.4%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Northwest Whitfield County High School)	43.1	41.5	1.6%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Whitfield County)	41.3	29.1	12.2%
End of Course American Literature and Composition (Georgia)	47.3	38.9	8.4%
End of Course Algebra I (Northwest Whitfield County High School)	33.8	45.1	11.3%
End of Course Algebra I (Whitfield County)	29.1	31.1	2%
End of Course Algebra I (Georgia)	41.1	35.8	5.3%
End of Course Biology (Northwest Whitfield County High School)	46.8	49.7	2.9%
End of Course Biology (Whitfield County)	39.1	41.3	2.2%
End of Course Biology (Georgia)	49	45.5	3.5%
End of Course United States History (Northwest Whitfield County High School)	65.7	51.8	13.9%
End of Course United States History (Whitfield County)	51.7	41.2	10.5%
End of Course United States History (Georgia)	48.3	37.1	11.2%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1316	1219	7.4%
African American	22	22
American Indian	6	5	16.7%
Asian	20	13	35%
Hispanic	389	405	4.1%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	824	727	11.8%
Two or More Races	54	46	14.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50.2%	48.7%	1.4%

Schools Near Northwest Whitfield County High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition (2024)	Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment United States History (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment American Literature and Composition End of Course	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment United States History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Northwest Whitfield County High School	Public	9-12	1651 Tunnel Hill Varnell Rd	Tunnel Hill	30755	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	No	(706) 673-6533	1,219	73	16.6	48.7%	727 (59.6%)	22 (1.8%)	405 (33.2%)	13 (1.1%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	46 (3.8%)	55.2	156^th of 458 public high schools	65.9%		62.9	107^th of 442 public high schools	75.8%	49	48.1	33.9	47.7	43.3	$8,538	$374	$8,165
Coahulla Creek High School	Public	9-12	3361 Crow Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	No	(706) 694-4900	986	57	17.2	57.5%	575 (58.3%)	14 (1.4%)	350 (35.5%)	7 (0.7%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	34 (3.4%)	45.5	210^th of 458 public high schools	54.1%		48.9	181^st of 442 public high schools	59.0%	29	43.8	35.8	40.7	33.7	$8,053	$408	$7,645
Dalton High School	Public	9-12	1500 Manly St	Dalton	30720	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 278-8757	1,382	89	15.6	55.4%	260 (18.8%)	62 (4.5%)	985 (71.3%)	44 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (2.2%)	36.4	260^th of 458 public high schools	43.2%		37.2	248^th of 442 public high schools	43.9%	12	34.3	7.1	27.5	29.3	$8,446	$459	$7,987
The Dalton Academy	Public	10-12	1250 Cross Plains Trai1	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 876-4700	402	35	11.5	66.7%	40 (10.0%)	16 (4.0%)	330 (82.1%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.2%)	16.7	384^th of 458 public high schools	16.2%		10.5	412^th of 442 public high schools	6.8%	28	20.8	6.8	15.0	19.5
Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center	Public	5-12	2735 Underwood Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Department of Juvenile Justice	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 272-2309	7				4 (57.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (28.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (14.3%)								(n/a)
Ringgold High School	Public	9-12	29 Tiger Trl	Ringgold	30736	Catoosa County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	No	(706) 935-2254	1,053	84	12.5	34.5%	937 (89.0%)	28 (2.7%)	39 (3.7%)	16 (1.5%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (2.8%)	58.5	141^st of 458 public high schools	69.2%		67.8	86^th of 442 public high schools	80.5%	55	36.5	50.8	57.9	42.4	$10,165	$438	$9,728
Phoenix High School	Public	9-12	2300 Maddox Chapel Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 876-3600	137	10	13.3	78.1%	82 (59.9%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (35.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	5 (3.6%)	5.8	441^st of 458 public high schools	3.7%		9.1	417^th of 442 public high schools	5.7%	24	5.2	0.0	7.0	5.0	$13,145	$1,286	$11,859
Southeast Whitfield County High School	Public	9-12	1954 Riverbend Rd	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 226-2753	1,492	86	17.4	75.7%	379 (25.4%)	17 (1.1%)	1,052 (70.5%)	3 (0.2%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (2.3%)	37.8	252^nd of 458 public high schools	45.0%		40.8	228^th of 442 public high schools	48.4%	24	30.9	32.7	31.8	41.3	$8,262	$623	$7,639
Heritage High School	Public	9-12	3960 Poplar Springs Rd	Ringgold	30736	Catoosa County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	No	(706) 937-6464	1,242	88	14.1	23.4%	1,101 (88.6%)	23 (1.9%)	51 (4.1%)	28 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	38 (3.1%)	74.1	75^th of 458 public high schools	83.6%		73.8	63^rd of 442 public high schools	85.7%	12	45.5	66.2	61.9	52.6	$9,774	$474	$9,300
North Murray High School	Public	9-12	2662 Mount Carmel Church Rd	Chatsworth	30705	Murray County	Murray County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 695-7760	1,035	62	16.6	57.5%	746 (72.1%)	7 (0.7%)	266 (25.7%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.0%)	40.3	240^th of 458 public high schools	47.6%		41.8	220^th of 442 public high schools	50.2%	20	34.1	39.3	34.4	35.4	$8,056	$434	$7,622

Frequently Asked Questions about Northwest Whitfield County High School

What is the racial makeup of Northwest Whitfield County High School?

Students at Northwest Whitfield County High School are 60% White, 33% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% African American, 1% Asian.

What schools feed into Northwest Whitfield County High School?

Northwest Whitfield County High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : New Hope Elementary School
Elementary : Pleasant Grove Elementary School
Elementary : Tunnel Hill Elementary School
Elementary : Westside Elementary School
Middle : New Hope Middle School
Middle : Westside Middle School

Is Northwest Whitfield County High School a good school?

Northwest Whitfield County High School ranks 156^th of 458 Georgia high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What district is Northwest Whitfield County High School in?

Whitfield County

How many students attend Northwest Whitfield County High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,219 students attended Northwest Whitfield County High School.

Rate Northwest Whitfield County High School!

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.