Enrollment
511
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Kennesaw, GA
Big Shanty Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Big Shanty Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130129000527
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Shanty Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Georgia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #3 of 16
- public schools in Kennesaw · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Shanty Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 82% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Shanty Elementary School ranks #3 of 16 public schools in Kennesaw, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-44% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Shanty Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Shanty Elementary School
Big Shanty Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Kennesaw, Georgia, enrolling 511 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 511 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 273 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #39.
Its student body is led by White (34%) and African American (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 72/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Kennesaw's elementary schools, it stands alongside Northwest Classical Academy (798 students): Big Shanty Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 18.6:1).
Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students) and Osborne High School (2,790 students) alongside Big Shanty Elementary 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 Big Shanty Elementary School compares
Big Shanty Elementary 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 44% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 511 | top 67% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
511
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 44% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 18% in Georgia - lower ratio than 82% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,203
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 23 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.7 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
White 34.1%
African American 30.7%
Hispanic or Latino 25.4%
Two or More 6.8%
Asian 2.9%
Largest group: White at 34.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.9, Big Shanty Elementary School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Cobb County, which includes Big Shanty Elementary School.
$13,203
Per student
-5%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 11.9%
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 Big Shanty Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Osborne High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pebblebrook High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Cobb High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Shanty Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,085
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,790
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,705
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,574
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar elementary schools in Kennesaw
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~511 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Shanty Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Big Shanty Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cobb 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 Big Shanty Elementary School
How many students attend Big Shanty Elementary School?
Big Shanty Elementary School has 511 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Kennesaw, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Shanty Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Shanty Elementary School is 11.9:1, which is 17% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 24% 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 Big Shanty Elementary School?
34.0% of students at Big Shanty Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Shanty Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Big Shanty Elementary School is White at 34.1% of enrollment, in Kennesaw, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Shanty Elementary School?
Big Shanty Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (higher 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 Big Shanty Elementary School rank among public schools in Kennesaw?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Shanty Elementary School ranks #3 of 16 public schools in Kennesaw, 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 Kennesaw on the city page.
Is Big Shanty Elementary School a good school?
Big Shanty Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Georgia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Cobb County?
Besides Big Shanty Elementary School, Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students), Osborne High School (2,790 students), and Walton High School (2,705 students). See the Cobb 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.