Enrollment
568
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Athens, GA
Gaines Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gaines Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130117000455
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gaines Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools.
- #13 of 13
- schools in Athens · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 82.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Gaines Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gaines Elementary School ranks #13 of 13 schools in Athens, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gaines Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gaines Elementary School
Gaines Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Athens, Georgia, enrolling 568 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.4:1, Gaines Elementary School is leaner than roughly 86% of Georgia schools and 21% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.8% of students eligible for free meals.
With 568 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 368 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #326, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (19%) (diversity index 49/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 568 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Clarke County spends $18,075 per pupil, 30% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 18.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Athens's public schools, it stands alongside South Jackson Elementary School (715 students): Gaines Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 12.3:1).
Clarke County also operates Clarke Central High School (1,907 students) and Cedar Shoals High School (1,489 students) alongside Gaines 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 Gaines Elementary School compares
Gaines 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.8% | ▲ 36% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.4:1
Leaner classes than 80% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
11.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% below state mean
Top 14% in Georgia - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.5%
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
$18,075
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 568 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.4 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 68.0%
Hispanic or Latino 19.4%
White 6.3%
Two or More 5.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 68.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 49.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 49.3, Gaines Elementary School is about as mixed as the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Clarke County, which includes Gaines Elementary School.
$18,075
Per student
+30%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+9%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.5%
State 29.2%
Federal 18.3%
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 Gaines Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Cedar Shoals High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Clarke Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Whitehead Road Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gaines Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,907
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,489
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 718
- Students per teacher
- 10.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 12.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 8.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Athens
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
South Jackson Elementary School
Standard public school
715 students 12.3:1 students per teacher
Whitehead Road Elementary School
Standard public school
632 students 8.7:1 students per teacher
Timothy Elementary School
Standard public school
565 students 10.5:1 students per teacher
Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School
Standard public school
563 students 10.1:1 students per teacher
Chase Street Elementary School
Standard public school
492 students 11.4:1 students per teacher
Barnett Shoals Elementary School
Standard public school
490 students 10.7:1 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 (~568 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gaines Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gaines Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Clarke 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 Gaines Elementary School
How many students attend Gaines Elementary School?
Gaines Elementary School has 568 students enrolled. It is a public school in Athens, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gaines Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gaines Elementary School is 11.4:1, which is 21% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 27% 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 Gaines Elementary School?
82.8% of students at Gaines Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gaines Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gaines Elementary School is African American at 68.0% of enrollment, in Athens, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gaines Elementary School?
Gaines Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Gaines Elementary School rank among schools in Athens?
By Resource Investment Index, Gaines Elementary School ranks #13 of 13 schools in Athens, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Athens on the city page.
Is Gaines Elementary School a good school?
Gaines Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller 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 Clarke County?
Besides Gaines Elementary School, Clarke County also operates Clarke Central High School (1,907 students), Cedar Shoals High School (1,489 students), and Clarke Middle School (718 students). See the Clarke 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.