GHSA places schools in new classifications for 2026-27
The Georgia High School Association placed its 454 member schools into seven classifications on Monday in preparation for the 2026-27 school year. Fifty-six schools are slated to go up in class, while 46 can go down.
Arabia Mountain, Seckinger, Kennesaw Mountain and Northgate were placed in the highest classification.
Other notable schools pegged to move up in classification are Creekside, the No. 1 football team in Class 4A; Jefferson, the Class 3A football runner-up last season; and Toombs County, the reigning Class A Division I football champion.
Bigger private schools Marist, Westminster and Benedictine are eligible to play in the private playoff division starting in 2026. So are Pace Academy and Eagle’s Landing Christian, all schools that currently compete in Class 4A. It’s doubtful that all will take that route. Marist, particularly, has opted to play in higher classifications.
The seven classes are the same as in the current cycle, but they have new names. Class A’s divisions I and II will become Class 2A and Class A. The highest classification, currently called 6A, will become Class 7A.
The GHSA will continue to separate private schools in classes 3A, 2A and A (4A, 3A and 2A in 2026) into their own playoff division known as 4A-2A Private, though they will compete with public schools in the regular season.
Schools may appeal until Sunday at noon. Appeals hearings will begin 10 a.m. Monday. When those appeals are done, the GHSA will place schools into regions. The GHSA has eight regions in each classification.
Classification is determined by enrollment, with students living out of their attendance zones counted twice.
Below are the schools and their new classes.
The numbers are enrollment / out-of-zone enrollment / enrollment plus out-of-zone enrollment times two.
In parentheses to the right, when applicable, is the number of classes that a school is slated to move up or down. Note that because of classification name changes, a school that moves to Class 5A from 3A is shown as +1, as that is a effectively a one-class jump.
Class 7A
Innovation Academy 1439 / 1439 / 4317
Brookwood 3802 / 148 / 4098
Campbell 3246 / 381 / 4008
Grayson 3743 / 97 / 3937
Lambert 3207 / 258 / 3723
Parkview 3176 / 91 / 3358
South Forsyth 2735 / 299 / 3333
Wheeler 2309 / 487 / 3283
Osborne 2707 / 281 / 3269
Lowndes 3059 / 47 / 3153
North Gwinnett 3053 / 42 / 3137
Alliance Academy 1201 / 963 / 3127
North Paulding 3022 / 46 / 3114
Peachtree Ridge 3034 / 39 / 3112
Forsyth Central 2447 / 324 / 3095
Archer 2963 / 57 / 3077
North Cobb 2415 / 330 / 3075
Denmark 2609 / 218 / 3045
East Coweta 2932 / 44 / 3020
West Forsyth 2600 / 198 / 2996
Arabia Mountain 1161 / 876 / 2913 (+1)
Cherokee 2808 / 48 / 2904
Mill Creek 2741 / 66 / 2873
Camden County 2828 / 11 / 2850
Newton 2572 / 131 / 2834
Richmond Hill 2762 / 22 / 2806
Berkmar 2776 / 12 / 2800
Seckinger 2500 / 148 / 2796 (+1)
Central Gwinnett 2279 / 237 / 2753
South Gwinnett 2671 / 39 / 2749
Pebblebrook 2368 / 190 / 2748
Duluth 2497 / 105 / 2707
Rockdale County 2223 / 242 / 2707
Walton 2656 / 7 / 2670
Discovery 2597 / 34 / 2665
Marietta 2449 / 95 / 2639
Hillgrove 2235 / 181 / 2597
North Atlanta 2392 / 91 / 2574
Colquitt County 2552 / 10 / 2572
Collins Hill 2485 / 35 / 2555
Westlake 1903 / 314 / 2531
Meadowcreek 2455 / 24 / 2503
Kennesaw Mountain 1623 / 429 / 2481 (+1)
Harrison 2184 / 140 / 2464
Dacula 2413 / 21 / 2455
Douglas County 1950 / 252 / 2454
North Forsyth 2284 / 72 / 2428
Valdosta 2322 / 50 / 2422
Buford 2040 / 176 / 2392
Paulding County 2048 / 166 / 2380
Lakeside-Evans 1822 / 275 / 2372 (+1)
Lakeside-DeKalb 2181 / 73 / 2327 (+1)
Northgate 2204 / 58 / 2320 (+1)
Etowah 2283 / 15 / 2313
McEachern 2122 / 94 / 2310
Carrollton 1875 / 216 / 2307
Norcross 2151 / 54 / 2259
Class 6A
Grovetown 2229 / 13 / 2255 (-1)
Newnan 2191 / 29 / 2249
New Manchester 1957 / 138 / 2233
Lassiter 2007 / 107 / 2221
Effingham County 2166 / 22 / 2210
South Cobb 1968 / 110 / 2188 (-1)
Sequoyah 2063 / 59 / 2181
Chamblee 1862 / 158 / 2178
Houston County 2101 / 38 / 2177
Morrow 2154 / 10 / 2174
South Paulding 1861 / 150 / 2161
Mountain View 2100 / 20 / 2140 (-1)
Gainesville 2079 / 29 / 2137
Shiloh 2070 / 26 / 2122
Tift County 2055 / 21 / 2097 (-1)
Woodward Academy 1072 / 507 / 2086
Rome 1925 / 79 / 2083
Creekview 2034 / 20 / 2074
Habersham Central 2058 / 5 / 2068
Hughes 2048 / 8 / 2064
Veterans 1998 / 30 / 2058
Greenbrier 1997 / 30 / 2057
Lovejoy 1973 / 37 / 2047
Chapel Hill 1549 / 239 / 2027 (-1)
Woodstock 1901 / 55 / 2011
Alpharetta 1948 / 28 / 2004 (-1)
Northside-Warner Robins 1997 / 1 / 1999
Tri-Cities 1765 / 117 / 1999
Loganville 1886 / 53 / 1992
Brunswick 1919 / 35 / 1989
Decatur 1887 / 51 / 1989
Milton 1949 / 19 / 1987
Roswell 1949 / 17 / 1983
South Effingham 1884 / 49 / 1982
Alexander 1770 / 105 / 1980
Glynn Academy 1863 / 54 / 1971
East Paulding 1879 / 45 / 1969
Clarke Central 1909 / 26 / 1961
Alcovy 1921 / 9 / 1939
Dunwoody 1914 / 9 / 1932
River Ridge 1842 / 43 / 1928
Lanier 1887 / 14 / 1915
Pope 1793 / 61 / 1915
Jackson County (projected) 1875 / 14 / 1903
Heritage-Conyers 1666 / 114 / 1894 (-1)
Bradwell Institute 1828 / 28 / 1884
Riverwood 1734 / 69 / 1872
Drew 1780 / 43 / 1866 (+1)
Northside-Columbus 1354 / 251 / 1856 (+1)
Creekside 1753 / 51 / 1855 (+1)
Coffee 1842 / 6 / 1854
Thomas County Central 1572 / 139 / 1850
Apalachee 1821 / 14 / 1849
McIntosh 1737 / 51 / 1839
Kell 1565 / 133 / 1831 (+1)
Midtown 1746 / 41 / 1828 (+1)
Lee County 1812 / 6 / 1824
Johns Creek 1791 / 15 / 1821
Evans 1744 / 34 / 1812
Dutchtown 1759 / 22 / 1803
Sprayberry 1632 / 84 / 1800
Class 5A
Winder-Barrow 1761 / 17 / 1795 (-1)
Warner Robins 1771 / 7 / 1785
Chattahoochee 1715 / 28 / 1771 (-1)
Southwest DeKalb 1244 / 263 / 1770
Jonesboro 1672 / 48 / 1768
Villa Rica 1654 / 52 / 1758 (-1)
Tucker 1683 / 35 / 1753
Dalton 1688 / 32 / 1752
Jackson-Atlanta 1620 / 59 / 1738
Statesboro 1717 / 7 / 1731 (-1)
St. Pius X 997 / 367 / 1731
Mundy’s Mill 1619 / 53 / 1725
Harris County 1695 / 13 / 1721
Banneker 1545 / 83 / 1711 (-1)
East Forsyth 1558 / 74 / 1706
Cambridge 1612 / 46 / 1704
Locust Grove 1570 / 63 / 1696
Forest Park 1645 / 21 / 1687
Cartersville 1454 / 116 / 1686
Union Grove 1552 / 65 / 1682
Perry 1629 / 15 / 1659
Allatoona 1477 / 88 / 1653
Hiram 1392 / 125 / 1642
Walnut Grove 1531 / 52 / 1635
Lithia Springs 1418 / 102 / 1622 (-1)
Ola 1527 / 46 / 1619
Northview 1555 / 27 / 1609
Eastside 1555 / 21 / 1597
Centennial 1579 / 6 / 1591
Cross Keys 1587 / 0 / 1587
Jones County 1579 / 0 / 1579
Druid Hills 1448 / 61 / 1570
Lithonia 1466 / 45 / 1556
Ware County 1542 / 2 / 1546
Groves 1383 / 76 / 1535 (+1)
Eagle’s Landing 1508 / 11 / 1530
Wayne County 1526 / 0 / 1526
Flowery Branch 1243 / 139 / 1521
North Oconee 1470 / 23 / 1516
Cedar Shoals 1508 / 3 / 1514
Woodland-Cartersville 1445 / 34 / 1513
Blessed Trinity 844 / 332 / 1508
Mays 1226 / 137 / 1500
Madison County 1474 / 12 / 1498
Cass 1474 / 7 / 1488
LaGrange 1405 / 39 / 1483 (+1)
Jenkins 1254 / 111 / 1476 (+1)
Starrs Mill 1334 / 70 / 1474
Richmond Academy 1213 / 127 / 1467 (+1)
Central-Carroll 1324 / 71 / 1466
Griffin 1435 / 11 / 1457
M. L. King 1381 / 34 / 1449
Jefferson 1352 / 35 / 1422 (+1)
Johnson-Gainesville 1235 / 90 / 1415 (+1)
Cedartown 1379 / 9 / 1397
Whitewater 1325 / 36 / 1397 (+1)
Central-Macon 962 / 216 / 1394 (+3)
Douglass 1273 / 59 / 1391 (+1)
Stockbridge 1387 / 2 / 1391
Stilwell Arts 520 / 435 / 1390 (+4)
Harlem 1366 / 10 / 1386 (+1)
Mary Persons 1373 / 6 / 1385 (+1)
Class 4A
Clarkston 1384 / 0 / 1384 (-1)
Cherokee Bluff 1204 / 85 / 1374
Southeast Whitfield 1346 / 14 / 1374 (-1)
Greater Atlanta Christian 632 / 358 / 1348
McDonough 1268 / 35 / 1338 (-1)
Calhoun 1247 / 44 / 1335
Troup County 1273 / 30 / 1333
Stephenson 1235 / 48 / 1331
Howard 1189 / 63 / 1315
Liberty County 1186 / 61 / 1308
Westside-Macon 1006 / 148 / 1302 (+1)
Stone Mountain 1217 / 42 / 1301
Luella 1255 / 18 / 1291
Ridgeland 1265 / 11 / 1287
Westover 1277 / 4 / 1285
Woodland-Stockbridge 1223 / 30 / 1283 (-1)
Benedictine 832 / 225 / 1282 (-1)
Fayette County 1250 / 14 / 1278
Oconee County 1232 / 22 / 1276
Sandy Creek 1173 / 50 / 1273
Long County 1265 / 0 / 1265
Mount Zion-Jonesboro 1227 / 18 / 1263
East Hall 1220 / 21 / 1262
West Hall 1222 / 20 / 1262
Westminster 819 / 220 / 1259 (-1)
North Springs 1120 / 69 / 1258 (-1)
West Laurens 1224 / 17 / 1258
Riverdale 1232 / 12 / 1256
Heritage-Catoosa 1208 / 19 / 1246
Spalding 1171 / 33 / 1237
Dougherty 1150 / 42 / 1234
Monroe 1159 / 34 / 1227
Chestatee 1180 / 23 / 1226
Monroe Area 1177 / 22 / 1221
Dawson County 1216 / 2 / 1220
KIPP Atlanta Collegiate 923 / 145 / 1213 (+1)
Adairsville 1164 / 23 / 1210
North Hall 1094 / 55 / 1204
Salem 1143 / 30 / 1203 (+1)
Windsor Forest 1120 / 40 / 1200
Peach County 1112 / 43 / 1198
Shaw 1071 / 60 / 1191 (+1)
Baldwin 1189 / 0 / 1189
Cairo 1179 / 0 / 1179
Bainbridge 1151 / 11 / 1173
Northwest Whitfield 1101 / 35 / 1171
Upson-Lee 1149 / 0 / 1149
Hampton 1110 / 17 / 1144 (-1)
Columbus 1132 / 5 / 1142 (+1)
Gilmer 1140 / 0 / 1140
Southeast Bulloch 1121 / 9 / 1139
Cross Creek 1048 / 44 / 1136
Hardaway 1017 / 59 / 1135 (+1)
Spencer 1050 / 42 / 1134 (+1)
East Jackson 1081 / 26 / 1133 (+1)
Pickens 1127 / 2 / 1131
White County 1110 / 10 / 1130
North Clayton 1116 / 6 / 1128
Carver-Atlanta 1068 / 28 / 1124 (+1)
LaFayette 1094 / 14 / 1122
New Hampstead 1037 / 42 / 1121 (-1)
Class 3A
Burke County 1102 / 4 / 1110
Coahulla Creek 1026 / 41 / 1108
Stephens County 1102 / 3 / 1108
Westside-Augusta 1021 / 39 / 1099 (-1)
Barrow Arts and Science Academy 1092 / 0 / 1092
Jordan 1017 / 36 / 1089
Hephzibah 952 / 63 / 1078 (-1)
Sonoraville 1037 / 15 / 1067
Ringgold 992 / 36 / 1064
Pike County 1063 / 0 / 1063
Lumpkin County 1048 / 5 / 1058 (-1)
Miller Grove 1057 / 0 / 1057
Hart County 1041 / 7 / 1055
Hapeville Charter 571 / 238 / 1047
Cedar Grove 1022 / 10 / 1042 (-1)
Morgan County 1033 / 4 / 1041
Therrell 995 / 23 / 1041
Sumter County 1025 / 2 / 1029
Hebron Christian 499 / 258 / 1015
Carver-Columbus 859 / 77 / 1013
Redan 1013 / 0 / 1013
Marist 596 / 208 / 1012 (-2)
Pierce County 983 / 10 / 1003
Crisp County 966 / 13 / 992
Hoschton 2027 (projected) 992 / 0 / 992
Beach 962 / 12 / 986 (-1)
Holy Innocents 548 / 218 / 984
Franklin County 981 / 1 / 983
Jackson 982 / 0 / 982
South Atlanta 926 / 28 / 982
Tattnall County 971 / 1 / 973
Appling County 964 / 2 / 968
Islands 711 / 127 / 965 (-1)
Butler 876 / 44 / 964
Lovett 634 / 162 / 958
Rutland 924 / 15 / 954
Callaway 901 / 26 / 953
North Cobb Christian 444 / 254 / 952
Brantley County 926 / 12 / 950 (+1)
Toombs County 893 / 26 / 945 (+1)
Temple 875 / 30 / 935 (+1)
Savannah Christian 399 / 266 / 931 (+1)
Rockmart 904 / 12 / 928
Murray County 924 / 1 / 926
Cook 908 / 8 / 924
Lamar County 875 / 16 / 907 (+1)
Thomson 907 / 0 / 907
Haralson County 900 / 1 / 902 (+1)
Union County 871 / 12 / 895
Mount Vernon 513 / 190 / 893 (+1)
Southwest 858 / 17 / 892 (+1)
Johnson-Savannah 683 / 104 / 891 (-1)
North Murray 878 / 6 / 890
Elbert County 881 / 1 / 883 (+1)
Northeast 798 / 40 / 878 (+1)
Gordon Central 836 / 15 / 866 (+1)
Wesleyan 493 / 185 / 863 (+1)
Lakeview-Ft. Oglethorpe 820 / 21 / 862
Washington County 850 / 5 / 860 (+1)
Worth County 829 / 13 / 855 (+1)
Kendrick 788 / 33 / 854
Putnam County 839 / 2 / 843 (+1)
Columbia 842 / 0 / 842
Washington 782 / 30 / 842
Jasper County 841 / 0 / 841 (+1)
Class 2A
Fannin County 835 / 1 / 837
McNair 833 / 2 / 837
Model 701 / 67 / 835
Laney 673 / 81 / 835 (-1)
St. Vincent’s Academy 592 / 120 / 832
Utopian Academy 323 / 253 / 829
Calvary Day 383 / 220 / 823 (-2)
Glenn Hills 802 / 10 / 822 (-1)
Fitzgerald 809 / 0 / 809
Social Circle 627 / 91 / 809
Berrien 795 / 6 / 807
Walker 398 / 204 / 806
Savannah Arts Academy 789 / 5 / 799 (-1)
Towers 792 / 0 / 792
Bremen 725 / 33 / 791
Banks County 787 / 0 / 787
Pace Academy 481 / 153 / 787 (-3)
Mount Paran Christian 440 / 173 / 786
Dodge County 781 / 0 / 781
Jeff Davis 773 / 2 / 777
DeKalb School of the Arts 302 / 236 / 774
Vidalia 671 / 51 / 773
Paideia 466 / 153 / 772
Swainsboro 763 / 0 / 763
Fellowship Christian 423 / 169 / 761
Bleckley County 673 / 39 / 751
Thomasville 700 / 17 / 734
Chattooga 724 / 1 / 726
East Laurens 671 / 18 / 707
Weber School 299 / 200 / 699
ACE Charter 550 / 73 / 696
Oglethorpe County 665 / 14 / 693
Trinity Christian 471 / 111 / 693 (-2)
Woodville-Tompkins 692 / 0 / 692
Coosa 638 / 25 / 688
Heard County 654 / 14 / 682
Twiggs County 222 / 228 / 678 (+1)
Providence Christian 298 / 184 / 666
Galloway 269 / 197 / 663
Josey 591 / 30 / 651 (-1)
Atlanta International 445 / 102 / 649
Commerce 567 / 40 / 647
Mount Pisgah Christian 299 / 170 / 639
Dublin 579 / 27 / 633
Pepperell 618 / 7 / 632
Rabun County 614 / 7 / 628
Mount Bethel Christian 215 / 206 / 627
Bacon County 596 / 12 / 620
Jefferson County 605 / 3 / 611
Darlington 442 / 81 / 604
Savannah 547 / 26 / 599 (+1)
Whitefield Academy 379 / 108 / 595
Dalton Academy 582 / 6 / 594
St. Francis 200 / 189 / 578
Gordon Lee 382 / 95 / 572
Drew 490 / 36 / 562 (-3)
Armuchee 508 / 24 / 556
Screven County 543 / 1 / 545 (+1)
Mount Zion-Carroll 502 / 21 / 544 (+1)
Athens Academy 325 / 107 / 539
Dade County 528 / 0 / 528
Prince Avenue Christian 318 / 103 / 524 (-1)
King’s Ridge Christian 284 / 119 / 522
Bryan County 490 / 5 / 500 (+1)
Metter 472 / 14 / 500 (+1)
Lanier County 456 / 16 / 488 (+1)
Brooks County 471 / 7 / 485 (+1)
THRIVE Academy (Projected) 155 / 140 / 435
Landmark Christian 308 / 54 / 416
Eagle’s Landing Christian 255 / 76 / 407 (-3)
Aquinas 242 / 60 / 362 (-2)
Christian Heritage 208 / 68 / 344
W.D. Mohammed 63 / 50 / 163
Southwest Atlanta Christian 85 / 30 / 145
Ben Franklin Academy 100 / 1 / 102
Greenforest Christian 43 / 0 / 43
Class A
Chattahoochee County 469 / 6 / 481
Early County 465 / 6 / 477
Irwin County 471 / 3 / 477
Bowdon 442 / 11 / 464
Crawford County 447 / 5 / 457
Pelham 368 / 44 / 456
Northwest Classical Academy 159 / 148 / 455
Charlton County 448 / 3 / 454
Atkinson County 416 / 13 / 442
Claxton 430 / 6 / 442
Seminole County 374 / 30 / 434
Schley County 366 / 29 / 424
Trion 349 / 37 / 423
Elite Scholars Academy 413 / 3 / 419
Greene County 413 / 3 / 419
Manchester 400 / 5 / 410
GMC Prep 297 / 54 / 405
Marion County 383 / 8 / 399
Clinch County 357 / 19 / 395
Lincoln County 362 / 16 / 394
Telfair County 390 / 1 / 392
Coretta Scott King Academy 388 / 0 / 388 (-2)
Davidson Fine Arts 387 / 0 / 387 (-2)
Hawkinsville 367 / 9 / 385
Taylor County 340 / 14 / 368
Wilcox County 348 / 10 / 368
Washington-Wilkes 362 / 1 / 364
McIntosh County Academy 358 / 0 / 358
Mitchell County 318 / 15 / 348
Lake Oconee Academy 346 / 0 / 346
Portal 300 / 23 / 346
Savannah Early College 117 / 114 / 345
B.E.S.T. Academy 332 / 3 / 338 (-1)
Georgia School for Innovation 225 / 56 / 337
Treutlen 307 / 11 / 329
Emanuel County Institute 290 / 16 / 322
Jenkins County 308 / 6 / 320
Johnson-Augusta 307 / 0 / 307 (-2)
Dooly County 300 / 3 / 306
Macon County 302 / 1 / 304
Johnson County 273 / 13 / 299
Wilkinson County 299 / 0 / 299
Baconton Charter 284 / 3 / 290
Turner County 288 / 0 / 288
Rainey-McCullers 271 / 8 / 287
Wheeler County 241 / 16 / 273
Terrell County 272 / 0 / 272
Towns County 269 / 0 / 269
Montgomery County 251 / 6 / 263
Miller County 227 / 15 / 257
Pataula Charter 163 / 47 / 257
Echols County 235 / 10 / 255
Technical Career Magnet 254 / 0 / 254 (-2)
Southwest Georgia STEM 144 / 48 / 240
Greenville 203 / 3 / 209
Randolph-Clay 189 / 0 / 189
Atlanta Classical 185 / 0 / 185
Hancock Central 183 / 0 / 183
Glascock County 170 / 2 / 174
Furlow Charter 172 / 0 / 172
Warren County 169 / 0 / 169
Central-Talbotton 118 / 0 / 118
Baker County 78 / 19 / 116
Calhoun County 112 / 0 / 112
Stewart County 112 / 0 / 112
Spring Creek 80 / 8 / 96
Quitman County 93 / 0 / 93
STEAM Academy 89 / 0 / 89
Savannah Classical Academy 81 / 0 / 81
Taliaferro County 55 / 9 / 73
Webster County 61 / 6 / 73
Woody Gap 10 / 0 / 10