Community Analysis Report:
Athens-Clarke County, GA
Kim James
MLIS 7422 Children and Teen Programming
Professor: Anita Ondrusek
Fall 2009
1
Athens, Georgia exists as it is today because of the University of
Georgia (UGA), and the University has shaped the economy over the years
in the now unified government of Athens-Clarke County (ACC). Athens was
established after the Georgia General Assembly created the University of
Georgia as the first chartered state –supported university in the United States
on January 27th, 1785. In 1801, John Milledge purchased and donated 633
acres to the University, and he named the area Athens after the Greek center
of culture. It was later that year that Clarke County was carved from Jackson
County and named for the Revolutionary War hero, Elijah Clarke. 1 In the
early 19th century, the University attracted prominent families to the area and
new homes were built surrounding the campus. Industry grew rapidly and
the economy was based primarily on cotton, brick works, textile, and
railroad transportation. Later in the 20th century after WWII, industrial
development included the building of plants for poultry and timber. 2 But
now in more recent years, the economy has shifted to educational, health,
and social services, as the University of Georgia, and the two hospitals,
Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s, are major employers in the
area. 3
Although it is the largest employer of the county’s residents, the University
of Georgia also contributes to the economic concerns in Athens-Clarke
County where the poverty rate is at a staggering 31%.4 In fact, Clarke
County’s poverty rates have actually increased over time while the state’s
and the nation’s have declined.5 “Economists note that the employer-size
wage premium dictates that an economy’s largest employer marks the upper
end of the wage continuum,” and applying the law suggests that the
University’s wages act as a “ceiling for wage potentials.” 5 Also, big-box
retailers like Wal-Mart, fast-food restaurants, and hotels thrive, as they do in
other college towns, increasing the number of part-time, minimum wage
paying jobs in the area. As a result, professionals in Athens are not paid very
well, and more often than not must settle for part-time employment. Weekly
wages for Athens-Clarke County are $104 less than the state of Georgia
overall. The large student body of 34,000+ compounds the poverty problem
as students compete with residents for jobs, rental property, and home
ownership. 5 In 2008, Athens-Clarke County tied for fourth in the nation for
poverty among counties in the same population range and the poorest in
Georgia. 6
2
Graph 1: Poverty Rate Over Time in Athens-Clarke County 5
(http://www.prosperousathens.org/poverty/index.html#prate)
The
Figure 1: Geography of Poverty in ACC 5
(http://www.prosperousathens.org/poverty/index.html#prate)
3
Athens is a diverse community. Of the 110, 000+ people residing in
Athens-Clarke County, White Americans make up the majority at just over
60%, but the population overall represents many minority cultural
backgrounds. Blacks or African Americans make up almost 26% of the total
population, while Hispanics or Latinos make up almost 9%, and Asians
make up almost 4%. Immigrant Hispanic communities have grown in the
Athens area as people have come to the area for the agricultural
opportunities, to work in restaurants, and to work in chicken processing
plants, and many of the Asians in the community have come because of their
association with the University of Georgia. Although almost 90% of the
community is English-only speakers, there are many Spanish speakers in the
community as well as native Chinese and Japanese speakers. Interesting to
note is that the majority of the Hispanic community identifies themselves as
speaking English less than very well. So the cultural diversity makes Athens
a language rich community as well.
Table 1: Race Distribution in Athens-Clarke County 15
(http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en)
Race
White
Black or African
American
Hispanic or Latino
Asian
American Indian or
Alaska Native
Other
Number of Persons
66,594
28,539
Percent of Total
60.4%
25.9%
9,482
4,107
207
8.6%
3.7%
0.2%
1,382
110,311
1.2%
100.00%
4
Table 2: Language Spoken by ACC Residents at Home 15
(http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en )
Language
Percentage
Speak English Less
Than “Very Well”
English Only
Spanish
Other Indo-European
Asian & Pacific Island
Other
87%
7.7%
2.6%
2.1%
0.6%
100.00%
n/a
4.6%
0.6%
0.9%
0.2%
6.3%
Residents of Athens-Clarke County have varying educational
backgrounds. The county’s lagging K-12 statistics make for an adult
population with low educational attainment levels.5 84.9% of residents 25
years and older have a high school degree or higher, and 42% have a
bachelor degree or higher.5 On the other hand though this means that close
to 20% of the working citizens did not graduate from high school, and close
to 60% do not have a college degree. So nearly 10,000 of the county
residents over the age of 25 are without high school diplomas. If those
10,000 residents could somehow obtain a high school diploma, an estimated
$70 million could be added to the local economy in the form of personal
income. 5 If that same adult population were to obtain a college degree,
approximately $288 million could be added to the local economy. 5
Graph 2: Household Income Distribution in Athens-Clarke County 5
(http://www.prosperousathens.org/poverty/index.html#prate)
5
The University of Georgia student population is the underlying issue
influencing income and wages in the area. Consequently per capita income
is only around $17, 000. 5 A much higher percentage of households in
Athens-Clarke County have income below the poverty level than those
throughout Georgia or even in the United States. Although the average
household income is $49,883, the median is $34,723 suggesting there are
more households on the lower end of the income spectrum (see Graph 2).15
In the 1970’s the Definition of Family Ordinance (DoF) was adopted to
combat neighborhood takeover by disorderly students and prohibits more
than two unrelated people to live together in homes in residential zones. This
adversely affects immigrant and low-income families in the county who are
unable to combine families in households to save money, and as a result
making it more difficult to bring their families out of low-income status. 7
Table 4: Family Households with Children Under 18 15
(http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en)
Type of Family
Married Couple Families
Number
5,317
Percentage
54%
Single Dads
Single Moms
Total
563
3,899
9,779
6%
40%
100.00%
Children are affected by the poverty in the county as well. Children
under the age of 18 make up 22.7% of the population in family households.
Approximately 15% of the total population is children ages 11 and under.
Twenty two percent of all families with children under the age of 5 live in
poverty, and 23% those with children under 18 live in poverty. Nearly 40%
of all single mother families are below poverty level. More than 50% of
single mother families with children 5 and younger are below poverty level.
The Athens-Clarke County Library has a Children’s Department and a
Young Adult or Teen Department. The Children’s area serves children and
their families from birth through age 11, while the teen area serves children
11 through 18 years of age. Both departments need to take into account the
children living in poverty and strive to reach them through programming and
other services.
6
Table 5: Population by Age of ACC Residents 19 Years and Under 15
(http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en)
Age
Under 5
5 to 9
10 to 14
15 to 19
Number of Persons
7,126
5,402
5,272
11,580
Percent of Total
6.5%
4.9%
4.8%
10.5%
29,380
26.70%
Poverty is definitely on the rise in schools in Georgia. According to a
study released by the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) in 2007, 52% of
GA’s public school students are classified as low-income.11 Increases in the
number of Latino children and high birth rates among African American
communities are contributing factors. This is evident in Athens-Clarke
County as the racial distribution of school children, kindergarten through
12th grade, is very different from the racial distribution of the entire county’s
population. Whites make up roughly 60% of the total population in the
county, but only 20% of the K-12 student body. Blacks or African
Americans make up roughly 27% of the total population, but they represent
53% of the K-12 student body. Hispanics or Latinos make up close to 9% of
the total population but represent 20% of the K-12 student body. Asians
make up close to 4% of the total population, but only 2% of the student
body. More than 70% of students are classified as low-income and receive
free or reduced lunches in Clarke County Schools. 10
Table 6: Number of ACC Students by Grade and Race 14
(http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/district.cfm?subpage=11)
ACC Students
Total number of students enrolled
Pre-kindergarten
Elementary schools (Pre-K-Grade 5)
Middle schools (Grades 6-8)
High schools (Grades 9-12)
Asian
African-American
Hispanic
White
Multi-racial
Numbers
12,403
641
6,838
2,412
3,153
2%
53%
20%
20%
4%
7
Poverty in Athens-Clarke County plays a role in student achievement
as low-income students generally receive the least amount of early
childhood education and are often already behind when they start school. 11
There are close to 2,000 children in nursery and preschool, almost 1,100 in
kindergarten, 8,000+ in elementary school in grades 1-8, and close to 3,600
in high school in grades 9-12. There are 14 elementary schools in AthensClarke County, 8 of which are Title-1 schools. Only 6 of the elementary
schools met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Three of the 4 middle schools
are classified as Title-1 schools, and only one met AYP. None of the 3 high
schools met AYP, and subsequently the district did not meet AYP. 12 It has
been suggested that the state expand existing pre-K programs to help lesson
the gap between poor and middle class students, as only 55% of eligible
low-income students have access to state pre-K programs in Georgia. 10
Table 6: 4-yr Old Population Served in Pre-K Programs in ACC 13
(http://reportcard2006.gaosa.org/osr/CountyData.aspx)
Estimated
#
Pop. 4-yr olds Enrolled
Clarke
County
1341
717
% pop.
served
# At risk
Children
Served
% of Pre-K
enrollment
53 %
485
68 %
Each of the 14 Elementary Schools, 4 Middle Schools, and 3 High
Schools (including Classic City Schools, a non-traditional High School for
students who have been unsuccessful in the traditional setting or require
flexible scheduling options) in the Athens-Clarke County School System all
have school libraries with media specialists in place. Students also have
access to public libraries. The Athens-Clarke County Library is part of the
Athens Regional Library System which has 11 branch libraries and provides
region-wide bookmobile service. The Athens-Clarke County Library is the
central library in the Athens Regional Library System, which serves Clarke,
Franklin, Madison, Oconee, and Oglethorpe counties. There are 4 other
branches in Clarke County: the East Athens Community Resource Center,
the Lay Park Community Resource Center, the Winterville Library, and
Pinewoods Library and Learning Center.
8
Figure 2: Athens Regional Library System 17
9
The two Resource Centers in Clarke County are housed within Community
Centers, the East Athens Community Center and the Lay Park Community
Center, each situated within walking distance of low-income housing
projects in the city limits. Each Resource Center was established with
SPLOST 2000 funds and is staffed by the Athens-Clarke County Library.
Pinewoods Library and Learning Center is a specialized branch serving the
Hispanic community that provides adult education including English as a
Second Language classes, family literacy activities, and after-school
tutoring. The branch, which is located in a doublewide trailer in the
Pinewoods North Mobile Home Park on U.S. Highway 29 North, was first
intended to serve the 2,000 residents of the mobile home park where it is
located; however, the library has grown to serve the nearly 18,000 Hispanic
immigrants who live in the county. The Winterville Library is in the city of
Winterville, which is an incorporated municipality within the unified
government of Athens-Clarke County. The city of Winterville, currently
with a population around 1,100, was incorporated in 1904 and is about 6
miles from downtown Athens and the University of Georgia. 9
Current Library Programs for Children
The main branch of the Athens-Clarke County Library currently offers the
following programs for children and their families.
Storytime Programs: The purpose of these programs to promote early
literacy skills and a love of libraries for lifelong learning.
 Bedtime Stories for families and children of all ages every Monday
evening at 7:00 p.m.
 Infant Storytime for infants up to 18 months of age and their
families on Monday mornings at 10:30 a.m. twice each month.
 Storytime for children 18 months to 5 years of age and their
families every Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 9:30 and 10:30
a.m. (staff)
Other Programs:
 We the People: Picturing America Book Discussion Group for
children in 1st – 4th grade meets once each month on Thursday
afternoons from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
10
 Georgia Children Book Award Nominees Book Discussion Group
for 1st – 4th grade students meets once each month on Thursday
afternoons from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
 Read to Rover for beginning readers to read aloud to certified
therapy dogs is held twice each month on Tuesday afternoons from
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. The purpose of the program is to provide children
with a comfortable, supportive environment to improve reading
and vocabulary skills while building confidence in their abilities.
 Parent/Child Workshops series meets once each week for 5 weeks
twice each year. Program is for families and children ages 1-3
years. Professionals from the community, like dental and eye care
specialists, speech and occupational therapists, development and
behavior specialists, are invited to come and informally talk and
answer questions with the children and their families while they
play with age appropriate toys.
 Japanese Storytime for families and children of all ages one Friday
each month at 5:00 p.m. Led by University of Georgia’s Japan
Outreach Coordinator. Purpose is to promote early literacy skills
while teaching about the Japanese culture.
 Various Programs led by local organizations, such as the ALPS
Traveling Troup of Children Actors who perform plays, Sandy
Creek Nature Center and Kopps Kritters who do amazing animal
programs.
 Puppet Shows are held usually 4 times each year, 2 are performed
by Children’s area staff and the other two are paid performances
funded by the puppetry endowment.
Outreach Programs for Children and Families
 Kidmobile: The library serves Athens-area low-income daycares
with monthly story time programs and book delivery.
 ACC Pre-K Class Visits: The library visits each of the public
school pre-K classes twice each year for story time programs.
 Project Horizon Storyteller: The library has partnered with the
school district to provide weekly story time programs at 3 Athensarea homeless shelters.
11
Table 7: Children’s Programs and Attendance for ACC Library
Fiscal Year: July 1 2008 – June 30 2009
Month and Year
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
Totals
Programs
50
25
52
57
39
41
50
61
52
61
58
56
602
Attendance
1570
1485
2190
2190
1730
1948
1666
2049
1613
2440
4201
3819
26,901
Early reading proficiency is an important indicator for student
achievement. If young children stay on their reading level through 3 rd grade,
then it is more likely they will be successful through high school. 16 The
National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) reported that only
33% of Georgia’s 4th grade students were proficient in reading and that only
28% of Georgia’s 8th graders were proficient in reading in 2007.17
Community partnerships with the school districts have proven to make a
difference in student achievement. Connecting students and their families to
expanded learning opportunities, community services, and civic participation
can have a positive impact on student achievement.17 Clearly Georgia’s
communities need to work together to improve student achievement.
Poverty is a serious issue in Athens-Clarke County, and it affects the
majority of children in public schools. Since low-income children are more
likely to start school lacking in early literacy skills and because early reading
proficiency is vital to student success, it is the responsibility of the AthensClarke County Library to support the community and the school system in
their efforts to provide these underserved children with programs to promote
early literacy skills.
12
Recommendations
1. Expand the current outreach Kidmobile programs to reach all lowincome daycares and preschools in the county.
2. Partner with each of the elementary schools to hold “Literacy Night”
programs at the schools for non-English speaking families, including
pizza and storytelling concerts.
3. Hold “How to Use Your Public Library from Home” programs at the
schools to teach parents and students how to use the library website to
access PINES library catalog, GALILEO databases, and other online
resources to help improve student learning and success in school.
4. Coordinate children’s programs to be held at the same time that adult
programs, like “How to: Applying for Jobs Online,” are held so
parents can leave children in the Storyroom for the child program
while the parents attend the adult program in another portion of the
library. This type of programming would require the help of reliable,
well-trained volunteers.
5. Conduct quarterly programs at Commmunity Centers and other target
locations within low-income areas where resource centers have not
yet been placed to promote early literacy.
13
Bibliography
1. Georgia.gov. City of Athens-Clarke County. http://athens.georgia.gov/
05/article/0,2680,8896571_7355477_35566639,00.html (accessed
October 2 – October 12, 2009)
2. The New Georgia Encyclopedia. Cities and Counties. Clarke County.
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2286
(accessed October 9, 2009)
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economy at a glace, August 2009. Clarke
County, GA. http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.ga_athens_msa.htm#
eag_ga_athens_msa.f.1 (accessed October 2, 2009)
4. Online Athens. Athens Banner Herald. Editorial: Grants show antipoverty effort's potential. Story updated at 6:43 pm on 4/16/2009.
http://dawgguide.onlineathens.com/stories/041709/opi_429992066.sht
ml (accessed on October 4, 2009)
5. Partners for a Prosperous Athens. Poverty Data. Athens’ Inconvenient
Truths: High Employment and High Poverty in Clarke County, by
Matthew Pulver of the Economic Justice Coalition .
http://www.prosperousathens.org/change/images/High%20Employme
nt%20and%20High%20Poverty.pdf (accessed on October 4, 2009)
6. Blogs.OnlineAthens.com. Blake Aued's blog. Size does matter,
submitted by Blake Aued on Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:51pm.
http://blogs.onlineathens.com/node/359#comment-2536 (accessed on
September 28, 2009)
7. Chang, Kevin, and Levy, Brian. 2007. A home for the working poor.
Policy Studies Journal (August). |http://www.accessmylibrary.com/
article-1G1-171253596/home-working-poor.html (accessed October
8, 2009)
8. Henderson, Ann T. 2009. A conversation with community partners.
Family Engagement Workshop, Clarke County School District Board
Office, Athens, GA. September 22.
9. Official Website for the City if Winterville.
http://cityofwinterville.com/ (accessed on October 15, 2009)
10. Online Athens. Athens Banner Herald. Poverty on the rise in schools,
by Benjamin Price. Story updated at 11:22 PM on Monday, October
29, 2007. http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/
103007/news_20071030066.shtml (accessed October 8, 2009)
14
11. Southern Education Foundation. A new majority: low income
students in the south’s public schools. http://www.sefatl.org/
pdf/A%20New%20Majority%20Report-Final.pdf (accessed October
2, 2009)
12. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
http://www.gaosa.org/FindASchool.aspx?TabRequested=District&Fro
mSection=score&PageReq=106&CountyId=629&SY=2008 (accessed
October 9, 2009)
13. The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. Bright from the Start
Annual Report Card. http://reportcard2006.gaosa.org/osr/
CountyData.aspx (accessed October 2, 2009)
14. Clarke County School District. http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/
district.cfm?subpage=11(accessed October 9, 2009)
15. US Census Bureau Fact Finder. http://factfinder.census.gov/
(accessed September 28, 2009)
16. Annenberg Institute for School Reform @ Brown University. Beyond
test scores: leading indicators for education. http://www.annenberg
institute.org/pdf/LeadingIndicators.pdf (accessed October 2, 2009)
17. Athens Regional Library System. http://www.clarke.public.lib.ga.us/
(accessed on October 15, 2009)
15