Enrollment
1,000
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Austell, GA
Cooper Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Cooper Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130129002475
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cooper Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Georgia schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Austell · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 58.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Cooper Middle School has class sizes larger than 71% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Austell, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.9%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cooper Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cooper Middle School
Cooper Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Austell, Georgia, enrolling 1,000 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.9% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,000 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.
Among 265 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #194, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (64%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 500 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 456 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,000 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Austell's middle schools, it stands alongside Garrett Middle School (891 students): Cooper Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 14.6:1).
Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students) and Osborne High School (2,790 students) alongside Cooper 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 Cooper Middle School compares
Cooper 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.9% | ▼ 3% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,000 | top 19% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,000
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 71% in Georgia - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.1%
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
$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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 500 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
251
in-school suspensions + 205 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 25.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 45.6 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 63.9%
Hispanic or Latino 25.5%
White 5.1%
Two or More 4.5%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 63.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.2, Cooper 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 Cobb County, which includes Cooper Middle 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 Cooper Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Osborne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pebblebrook High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Cobb High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cooper Middle 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 middle schools in Austell
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~1,000 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cooper Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Cooper Middle 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 Cooper Middle School
How many students attend Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has 1,000 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Austell, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cooper Middle School is 15.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 1% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cooper Middle School?
58.9% of students at Cooper Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cooper Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Cooper Middle School is African American at 63.9% of enrollment, in Austell, 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 Cooper Middle School?
Cooper Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Cooper Middle School rank among public schools in Austell?
By Resource Investment Index, Cooper Middle School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Austell, 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 Austell on the city page.
Is Cooper Middle School a good school?
Cooper Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Cobb County?
Besides Cooper Middle 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.