Enrollment
1,543
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Canton, GA
Dean Rusk Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Dean Rusk Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130111001970
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 38
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dean Rusk Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% of Georgia schools.
- #1 of 4
- middle schools in Canton · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 19.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Dean Rusk Middle School has class sizes larger than 75% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dean Rusk Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Canton, GA.
School address
District: Cherokee County · Georgia
NCES ID 130111001970 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
19.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-69% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dean Rusk Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dean Rusk Middle School
Dean Rusk Middle School is a lower-poverty, large middle school in Canton, Georgia, enrolling 1,543 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 19.0% free-meal eligibility runs 69% below the Georgia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,543 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 180 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by White (65%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 309 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 328 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,543 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 13 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Canton's middle schools, it stands alongside Teasley Middle School (1,586 students): Dean Rusk Middle School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.9:1 vs 13:1).
Cherokee County also operates Cherokee High School (3,012 students) and Etowah High School (2,393 students) alongside Dean Rusk 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 Dean Rusk Middle School compares
Dean Rusk 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 | 15.9:1 | ▲ 10% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 19.0% | ▼ 69% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,543 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,543
Bigger than 96% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
19.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 69% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 75% in Georgia - lower ratio than 25% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
24.2%
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
$12,141
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 309 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
195
in-school suspensions + 133 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 12.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 21.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 13 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 65.0%
Hispanic or Latino 18.0%
African American 6.9%
Two or More 6.0%
Asian 4.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 65.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.5, Dean Rusk 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 Cherokee County, which includes Dean Rusk Middle School.
$12,141
Per student
-12%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.1%
State 38.7%
Federal 10.3%
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 Dean Rusk Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Etowah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Creekview High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sequoyah High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodstock High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dean Rusk Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,012
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,393
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 2,039
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 2,021
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,006
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar middle schools in Canton
3 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 (~1,543 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dean Rusk Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Dean Rusk Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Cherokee 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 Dean Rusk Middle School
How many students attend Dean Rusk Middle School?
Dean Rusk Middle School has 1,543 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Canton, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dean Rusk Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dean Rusk Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 10% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 1% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dean Rusk Middle School?
19.0% of students at Dean Rusk Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dean Rusk Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Dean Rusk Middle School is White at 65.0% of enrollment, in Canton, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dean Rusk Middle School?
Dean Rusk Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Dean Rusk Middle School rank among middle schools in Canton?
By Resource Investment Index, Dean Rusk Middle School ranks #1 of 4 middle schools in Canton, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Canton on the city page.
Is Dean Rusk Middle School a good school?
Dean Rusk Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 75% 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 Cherokee County?
Besides Dean Rusk Middle School, Cherokee County also operates Cherokee High School (3,012 students), Etowah High School (2,393 students), and Creekview High School (2,039 students). See the Cherokee 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.