Soon, the citizens of Porterdale will have easy access to a local initiative that helps anyone without a high school diploma obtain their General Educational Development (GED) for free.
The city of Porterdale has partnered with multiple groups, including Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) and the Newton County Industrial Development Authority (IDA), to get a local, no-cost GED class launched. In recent months, organizers have been present at Porterdale events to gauge interest and see if the citizens would be receptive to the idea.
“I do know that there are a lot of opportunities for people to make a living even if they have not completed their GED or high school education of some sorts,” said Michael Patterson, mayor of Porterdale. “But I do believe in education, and I do believe that [a GED] would play a great factor in the success of any individual.”
The groups hope to kick off the free courses in Porterdale this coming August. People, regardless of age or city residency, will be able to register to complete their GED requirements. Anyone interested can fill out a form here.
“Some may think that it will cost them, and that’s why we want to educate the community and let them know that this is a completely free program and they don’t have to be afraid of any out-of-pocket financial commitment,” Patterson said.
Location(s), times and a start date for the classes are still a work in progress.
Serra Hall, executive director of the IDA, shared insight into the importance of possessing this educational milestone from an economic development standpoint.
“We’re a growing community and there are an enormous amount of jobs that will be heading our way with future companies that we’ve recently announced,” Hall said. “...And so we want to make sure that our citizens have the best opportunity to obtain those jobs.
“This is one of the factors that we’ve noticed that we said, ‘Well, how do we make sure that Newton County residents, no matter what city they’re in, have the opportunity to truly obtain the jobs that we’re bringing here?’ And one of the main pieces is a GED or a high school diploma.”
Based on data from the IDA, as of 2024, the city of Porterdale had a population of 1,922 people. That makes up just 1.6% of Newton County residents, though 83.1% of the county lives in unincorporated areas, some of which may surround the Porterdale city limits.
The IDA studied the educational attainment levels of Newton County and the county’s five cities (Social Circle excluded). When compared to Mansfield, Covington, Newborn, Oxford and unincorporated residents, the city of Porterdale has the highest proportion of citizens who lack a high school diploma at 17.8%.
Furthermore, the median household income for those living in Porterdale is lower than all of its local counterparts. In 2024, the median household income in Porterdale was $46,736. In the city of Covington, this number was $62,848. In the state of Georgia, the median household income was $77,086.
This can correlate further to poverty statistics.
According to numbers pulled from the 2022 census by the IDA, 33.5% of Porterdale lives in what is considered poverty. Of Newton County cities, the nearest second is Covington, at 20.5% in poverty. This puts Porterdale a full 13% more impoverished than its immediate municipal neighbor.
By addressing the educational attainment level, the IDA, city of Porterdale and GPTC hope to close these gaps. GPTC President Tavarez Holston believes that when someone has a GED, more doors are opened.
“It [a GED] gives them access and economic mobility,” Holston said. “It gives them access to greater opportunities to increase their wages and increase their family status just in our community. It gives them access to a world of jobs that they may not have had access to otherwise.”
Higher wage jobs may prefer applicants with a high school diploma or GED equivalent. By working to obtain this milestone, the residents of Porterdale may make themselves more competitive applicants, allowing them to score higher-paying jobs, thereby increasing their income and raising above the poverty line.
As an added bonus, taking the time to complete a GED well after high school shows employers soft skills, like perseverance and dedication.
But Patterson believes the time commitment might be the biggest thing that holds people back from taking advantage of the program. Knowing this, the mayor encourages those who may be on the fence to find whatever time they can to get involved.
“For those that may not feel like they have the time, I would encourage them to make the time,” Patterson said. “Often in life, we can’t just find time to do everything that we want – we have to make the time. And whatever you make time for is a priority to you.”
Mary Baxter, vice president of adult education at GPTC, said that the school served over a thousand people of all ages in their high school equivalency program last year. Though the idea of returning to education may seem daunting, Baxter knows it is in reach.
“People who may think that they can’t do this, that they can’t achieve this goal, that may feel out of reach for a lot of people,” Baxter said. “...It’s not out of reach. It is possible. And that’s what we center our work around, is really making that possible for individuals who feel like maybe they can’t get there.”
