Enrollment
815
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fitzgerald, GA
Ben Hill County Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Ben Hill County Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130036002148
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ben Hill County Primary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Fitzgerald · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- students per teacher
- 89.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ben Hill County Primary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Hill County Primary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Fitzgerald, GA.
School address
District: Ben Hill County · Georgia
NCES ID 130036002148 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
57.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+47% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ben Hill County Primary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ben Hill County Primary School
Ben Hill County Primary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fitzgerald, Georgia, enrolling 815 students.
At 14.3:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 89.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 815 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 468 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #312.
Its student body is led by African American (47%) and White (38%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 815 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fitzgerald's public schools, it stands alongside Hurricane Transition Academy (49 students): Ben Hill County Primary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 16.3:1).
Ben Hill County also operates Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy (870 students) and Ben Hill County Middle School (594 students) alongside Ben Hill County Primary School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Ben Hill County Primary School compares
Ben Hill County Primary School on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.3:1 | ▼ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.0% | ▲ 47% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 815 | top 31% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
815
Bigger than 86% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 47% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 1% below state mean
Top 53% in Georgia - lower ratio than 47% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$14,371
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 815 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 46.6%
White 37.5%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 46.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.8, Ben Hill County Primary School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ben Hill County, which includes Ben Hill County Primary School.
$14,371
Per student
+4%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.1%
State 51.7%
Federal 24.2%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Ben Hill County Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ben Hill County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ben Hill Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hurricane Transition Academy | Smaller | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ben Hill County Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 870
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 594
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 49
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Fitzgerald
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Georgia, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~815 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ben Hill County Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Ben Hill County Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ben Hill County's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Ben Hill County Primary School
How many students attend Ben Hill County Primary School?
Ben Hill County Primary School has 815 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fitzgerald, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ben Hill County Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ben Hill County Primary School is 14.3:1, which is 1% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 9% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ben Hill County Primary School?
89.0% of students at Ben Hill County Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ben Hill County Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Ben Hill County Primary School is African American at 46.6% of enrollment, in Fitzgerald, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ben Hill County Primary School?
Ben Hill County Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Ben Hill County Primary School rank among public schools in Fitzgerald?
By Resource Investment Index, Ben Hill County Primary School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Fitzgerald, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Fitzgerald on the city page.
Is Ben Hill County Primary School a good school?
Ben Hill County Primary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Ben Hill County?
Besides Ben Hill County Primary School, Ben Hill County also operates Fitzgerald High School School College and Career Academy (870 students), Ben Hill County Middle School (594 students), and Ben Hill Elementary School (552 students). See the Ben Hill County district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.