Enrollment
545
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Folkston, GA
Folkston Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Folkston Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130099002241
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Folkston Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Georgia schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Folkston · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.6:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 64.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Folkston Elementary School has class sizes larger than 71% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Folkston Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Folkston, GA.
School address
District: Charlton County · Georgia
NCES ID 130099002241 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.4%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Folkston Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Folkston Elementary School
Folkston Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Folkston, Georgia, enrolling 545 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 64.4% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 545 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 320 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #176.
Its student body is led by White (54%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 545 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 Folkston's public schools, it stands alongside St. George Elementary School (198 students): Folkston Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.6:1 vs 13.2:1).
Charlton County also operates Bethune Middle School (453 students) and Charlton County High School (417 students) alongside Folkston 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 Folkston Elementary School compares
Folkston 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 | 15.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.4% | ▲ 6% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 545 | top 62% | - | - |
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.
545
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
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
18.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,177
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 545 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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
White 54.1%
African American 30.8%
Two or More 9.5%
Hispanic or Latino 3.5%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 54.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.2, Folkston 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 Charlton County, which includes Folkston Elementary School.
$13,177
Per student
-5%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 31.7%
State 49.3%
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 Folkston Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethune Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charlton County High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| St. George Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Folkston Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 453
- Students per teacher
- 11.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 417
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 198
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
Similar other schools in Folkston
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 (~545 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Folkston Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Folkston Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Charlton 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 Folkston Elementary School
How many students attend Folkston Elementary School?
Folkston Elementary School has 545 students enrolled. It is a public school in Folkston, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Folkston Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Folkston Elementary 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 Folkston Elementary School?
64.4% of students at Folkston Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Folkston Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Folkston Elementary School is White at 54.1% of enrollment, in Folkston, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Folkston Elementary School?
Folkston Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Folkston Elementary School rank among public schools in Folkston?
By Resource Investment Index, Folkston Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Folkston, 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 Folkston on the city page.
Is Folkston Elementary School a good school?
Folkston Elementary School earns 40/100 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 Charlton County?
Besides Folkston Elementary School, Charlton County also operates Bethune Middle School (453 students), Charlton County High School (417 students), and St. George Elementary School (198 students). See the Charlton 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.