Turner County High School

Turner County High School
Location
316 Lamar Street Ashburn, Georgia United States
Coordinates	31°42′21″N83°38′30″E / 31.7057°N 83.6416°E / 31.7057; 83.6416
Information
Type	Public
Established	1957
School district	Turner County School District
Superintendent	Craig Matthews
NCES School ID	130519001712
Principal	Jason Clark
Staff	29.70 (FTE) [1]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	342 (2023–2024) [1]
Student to teacher ratio	11.52 [1]
Color(s)	Royal blue, orange, white and black
Mascot	Titan
Website	www.turner.k12.ga.us

Turner County High School is a public high school located in Ashburn, Georgia. It is the only high school in Turner County, Georgia.

History

Turner County initially had two separate high schools. In 1957, the two schools consolidated to form the current Turner County High School. At the time the school was founded, only whites were permitted to attend. Black students attended the nearby Eureka School. ^{[2] [3]} Shortly before the school year started, future students and teachers chose the Rebel as their mascot. ^[4]

In 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. However, Turner County High School did not integrate until 1970. Nonetheless, the school continued to host segregated proms until 2007. ^[5] In 2021, 70% of students voted in favor of changing the school's mascot to the Titan, citing ties to Confederate ideology. ^{[6] [7]}

Demographics

The demographic breakdown by race/ethnicity of the 339 students enrolled for the 2021–2022 school year was: ^[8]

• Asian – 0.3%
• Black – 64.9%
• Hispanic – 6.5%
• White – 24.5%

Notable alumni

• Ontaria Wilson, professional gridiron football wide receiver ^[9]

References

1. "Turner County High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 27, 2025.
2. "Irish, Perry, Cochran, Imps, Demons Open Fights for Football Honors". The Macon News. September 9, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
3. "Turner County High to change mascot". Tifton Gazette. February 2, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
4. "Turner County High Chooses School Colors". The Macon News. March 10, 1957. p. 3. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
5. "Ga. school plans its first non-segregated prom". NBC News. April 4, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
6. Holcomb, Todd (February 12, 2021). "South Georgia school to change rebels mascot". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
7. Mallory, Ariel (May 1, 2021). "Turner County reveals "Titan" as new mascot for the school system". WFXL. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
8. "Turner County High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
9. "Turner County's Wilson signs with Chargers". The Tifton Gazette. May 2, 2023.