Enrollment
548
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Chickamauga, GA
Cherokee Ridge Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Ridge Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130537002287
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 4
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Ridge Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% of Georgia schools.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Chickamauga · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 59.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Ridge Elementary has class sizes smaller than 82% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Ridge Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Chickamauga, GA.
School address
District: Walker County · Georgia
NCES ID 130537002287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Ridge Elementary compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Ridge Elementary
Cherokee Ridge Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Chickamauga, Georgia, enrolling 548 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.3% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 548 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 351 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #137.
Its student body is predominantly White (84% of enrollment) (diversity index 28/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 274 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 38.5% 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.
Among Chickamauga's public schools, it stands alongside Chickamauga Elementary School (544 students): Cherokee Ridge Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.9:1 vs 17.5:1).
Walker County also operates Ridgeland High School (1,284 students) and Lafayette High School (1,157 students) alongside Cherokee Ridge Elementary.
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 Cherokee Ridge Elementary compares
Cherokee Ridge Elementary 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 | 59.3% | ▼ 2% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 548 | top 62% | - | - |
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.
548
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
11.9:1
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
38.5%
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
$14,055
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 274 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.2 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 84.3%
Two or More 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
African American 4.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 84.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 28.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 28.1, Cherokee Ridge Elementary is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walker County, which includes Cherokee Ridge Elementary.
$14,055
Per student
+1%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.5%
State 50.5%
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 Cherokee Ridge Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgeland High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lafayette Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Gilbert Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Ridge Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,284
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 1,157
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 499
- Students per teacher
- 9.2:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Chickamauga
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 (~548 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Ridge Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Ridge Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Walker 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 Cherokee Ridge Elementary
How many students attend Cherokee Ridge Elementary?
Cherokee Ridge Elementary has 548 students enrolled. It is a public school in Chickamauga, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Ridge Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Ridge Elementary 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 Cherokee Ridge Elementary?
59.3% of students at Cherokee Ridge Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Ridge Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Ridge Elementary is White at 84.3% of enrollment, in Chickamauga, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Ridge Elementary?
Cherokee Ridge Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Cherokee Ridge Elementary rank among public schools in Chickamauga?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Ridge Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Chickamauga, 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 Chickamauga on the city page.
Is Cherokee Ridge Elementary a good school?
Cherokee Ridge Elementary earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 82% 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 Walker County?
Besides Cherokee Ridge Elementary, Walker County also operates Ridgeland High School (1,284 students), Lafayette High School (1,157 students), and Saddle Ridge Elementary and Middle School (772 students). See the Walker 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.