The Carribean Group

It’s hard to describe Gilmer County as anything other than “picturesque.” Home to state recreation areas as Carters Lake, Amicalola State Park, Fort Mountain State Park, the Cohutta Wilderness and the Rich Mountain Wilderness, Gilmer is one of the most beautiful areas in all of north Georgia.
The county seat of Gilmer County is Ellijay, which is joined by its sister city (and the only other incorporated community in Gilmer), East Ellijay. Ellijay bears the Indian name of “earth green there,” and the Cherokee Indians lived in this area until their removal to Oklahoma in 1838 via the “Trail of Tears.”
And the county is likely to stay picturesque, too—nearly half the territory of Gilmer County is within the Chattahoochee National Forest and is protected from development by the Federal Government.
There are a number of recognized communities within the county, such as Mountaintown, Boardtown, Cartecay, Cherry Log, etc., which are population centers and which offer low class sizes, affordable housing and scenic communities. And of course, with the local price of a starter home so far below the metro Atlanta average, it’s no surprise that so many people are choosing to make their homes here. The 2001 census estimated Gilmer’s growth to be booming at nearly 18 percent per decade.

education

PUBLIC SCHOOLS
www.gilmer.k12.ga.us
Board of Education
706-276-5000

By law children must be five years old on or before September 1 to enter kindergarten and six years old on or before September 1 to enter the first grade. You will need the following documentation for your kindergarten or first-grade child: a certified birth certificate from your state department of vital statistics; a vision, hearing and dental screening from a family practitioner or local health clinic; immunization records on Georgia State Form 3032.

The HOPE Scholarship Program
The Georgia Student Finance Commission handles all matters pertaining to the HOPE Scholarship Program and the PROMISE Teacher Scholarship Program. For more information, visit the Student Finance Commission at www.gsfc.org. For more information, contact the Student Finance Commission at:
Georgia Student Finance Commission
2082 East Exchange Place
Tucker, GA 30084
770-724-9000

School and bus assignment information:
770-276-5000

Avg. SAT Scores (Note: most students take the SAT whether they go on to higher education or not.)

Avg. Norm-Referenced Test (NRT) Scores

PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Admission requirements, testing and tuition vary with each school. Check with the school of your choice for further details.

Grace Christian School
164 Legion Road
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-2441
Enrollment: 94
Grades: PK – 12

medical

North Georgia Medical Center
1362 South Main Street
Ellijay, GA 30504
706-276-4741

utilities

ELECTRICITY
Georgia Power
888-660-5890/404-506-6526
Connection Fee: $22
Security deposit required if no credit
www.georgiapower.com


TELEPHONE
Ellijay Telephone Company
224 Dalton St
Ellijay, GA 30540
800-660-9826


GAS
For more information on establishing your gas connection and the deregulation of the natural gas market in Georgia with a listing of the residential gas providers, see the opening of these county listings.

Georgia Natural Gas
P.O. Box 723908
Atlanta, GA 31139
770-850-6200 (inside metro Atlanta)
1-877-850-6200 (outside metro Atlanta)


WATER
Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewer Authority
100 Victory Drive
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-7929


GARBAGE
Ellijay-Gilmer County Water and Sewer Authority
100 Victory Drive
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-7929

parks

Parks and Recreation Department
Gilmer County Parks
Highway 5 South
Ellijay GA 30540
706-635-7700

other

Georgia Apple Festival
Ellijay, GA 30121
Producing 60,000 bushels of apples each fall, Gilmer County is Georgia’s Apple Capital. Handmade arts and crafts, home-grown entertainment, car show, parade and plain old fun
combine with every apple product imaginable to make the weekends a family adventure.

libraries

Gilmer County Public Library
103 Dalton Street
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-4528

post office

www.usps.gov

Ellijay Post Office
801 Industrial Blvd
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-4356

car tag & license

License Tag Location
Contact the Gilmer County Tag Department at:
706-635-7400 for locations.

newspaper

The Times-Courier
47 River Street
P.O. Box 1076
Ellijay, GA 30540
706-635-4313

miscellaneous

Voter Registration
For information:
706-635-7400

Gilmer County Chamber Of Commerce
368 Craig Street
East Ellijay, GA 30539
706-635-7400
www.gilmerchamber.com