Enrollment
309
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Columbus, GA
Dawson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dawson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130387001433
👥 S:T ratio 31
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dawson Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Georgia schools.
- #4 of 17
- schools in Columbus · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 17.2:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 96.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Dawson Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dawson Elementary School ranks #4 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA.
School address
District: Muscogee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130387001433 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.4%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dawson Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dawson Elementary School
Dawson Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Columbus, Georgia, enrolling 309 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.2:1 is larger than about 86% of Georgia schools and 19% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 96.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 309 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 222 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #106.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Columbus's public schools, it stands alongside North Columbus Elementary (737 students): Dawson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.2:1 vs 15.7:1).
Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students) and Shaw High School (1,162 students) alongside Dawson 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 Dawson Elementary School compares
Dawson 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 19% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.4% | ▲ 59% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 309 | top 89% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
309
Bigger than 34% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 86% in Georgia - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.5%
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
$12,762
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 309 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.0 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscogee County, which includes Dawson Elementary School.
$12,762
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.0%
Federal 18.2%
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 Dawson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Shaw High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Columbus High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hardaway High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Jordan Vocational High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dawson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,405
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 1,162
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,161
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 1,067
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,040
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Columbus
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
North Columbus Elementary
Standard public school
737 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Eagle Ridge Academy
Standard public school
658 students 14:1 students per teacher
Clubview Elementary School
Standard public school
566 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Double Churches Elementary School
Standard public school
472 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
River Road Elementary School
Standard public school
454 students 14.6:1 students per teacher
Rigdon Road Elementary School
Standard public school
437 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
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 (~309 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dawson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dawson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Muscogee 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 Dawson Elementary School
How many students attend Dawson Elementary School?
Dawson Elementary School has 309 students enrolled. It is a public school in Columbus, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dawson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dawson Elementary School is 17.2:1, which is 19% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dawson Elementary School?
96.4% of students at Dawson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dawson Elementary School?
Dawson Elementary School 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 Dawson Elementary School rank among schools in Columbus?
By Resource Investment Index, Dawson Elementary School ranks #4 of 17 schools in Columbus, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Columbus on the city page.
Is Dawson Elementary School a good school?
Dawson Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Muscogee County?
Besides Dawson Elementary School, Muscogee County also operates Northside High School (1,405 students), Shaw High School (1,162 students), and Columbus High School (1,161 students). See the Muscogee 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.