Enrollment
453
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Folkston, GA
Bethune Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Bethune Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130099004016
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bethune Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Georgia schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Folkston · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 58.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Bethune Middle School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bethune Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Folkston, GA.
School address
District: Charlton County · Georgia
NCES ID 130099004016 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.4%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-4% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bethune Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bethune Middle School
Bethune Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Folkston, Georgia, enrolling 453 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.6:1, Bethune Middle School is leaner than roughly 85% of Georgia schools and 19% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.4% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 453 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Among 278 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #197, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (24%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 272 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 453 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Charlton County also operates Folkston Elementary School (545 students) and Charlton County High School (417 students) alongside Bethune Middle 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 Bethune Middle School compares
Bethune Middle 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.4% | ▼ 4% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 4% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 15% in Georgia - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$13,177
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 453 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
164
in-school suspensions + 108 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 36.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 60.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 expulsions.
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
White 64.2%
African American 24.3%
Two or More 7.7%
Hispanic or Latino 3.3%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: White at 64.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Bethune Middle School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Charlton County, which includes Bethune Middle School.
$13,177
Per student
-5%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 49.3%
Federal 19.0%
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 Bethune Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folkston Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charlton County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. George Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bethune Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 545
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 198
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar elementary 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 (~453 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bethune Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Bethune Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Charlton 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 Bethune Middle School
How many students attend Bethune Middle School?
Bethune Middle School has 453 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Folkston, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bethune Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bethune Middle School is 11.6:1, which is 19% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 26% 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 Bethune Middle School?
58.4% of students at Bethune Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bethune Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Bethune Middle School is White at 64.2% of enrollment, in Folkston, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bethune Middle School?
Bethune Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Bethune Middle School rank among public schools in Folkston?
By Resource Investment Index, Bethune Middle School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Folkston, 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 Folkston on the city page.
Is Bethune Middle School a good school?
Bethune Middle School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Georgia schools. 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 Charlton County?
Besides Bethune Middle School, Charlton County also operates Folkston Elementary School (545 students), Charlton County High School (417 students), and St. George Elementary School (198 students). See the Charlton 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.