Enrollment
536
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gainesville, GA
Gainesville Exploration Academy
Federal NCES profile for Gainesville Exploration Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130231003049
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 36
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gainesville Exploration Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #16 of 21
- schools in Gainesville · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- students per teacher
- 66.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Gainesville Exploration Academy has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gainesville Exploration Academy ranks #16 of 21 schools in Gainesville, GA.
School address
District: Gainesville City · Georgia
NCES ID 130231003049 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gainesville Exploration Academy compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gainesville Exploration Academy
Gainesville Exploration Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Gainesville, Georgia, enrolling 536 students.
At 13.7:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 66.8% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 536 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 279 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #181.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (70%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 536 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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 Gainesville's public schools, it stands alongside Chestatee Elementary (1,159 students): Gainesville Exploration Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 14.3:1).
Gainesville City also operates Gainesville High School (2,077 students) and Gainesville Middle School West (931 students) alongside Gainesville Exploration Academy.
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 Gainesville Exploration Academy compares
Gainesville Exploration Academy on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.7:1 | ▼ 5% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.8% | ▲ 10% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 536 | top 64% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
536
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 43% in Georgia - lower ratio than 57% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.7%
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
$12,555
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 536 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.1 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
Hispanic or Latino 69.6%
African American 18.7%
White 7.1%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.5, Gainesville Exploration Academy is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gainesville City, which includes Gainesville Exploration Academy.
$12,555
Per student
-9%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 39.0%
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 Gainesville Exploration Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville Middle School West | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gainesville Middle School East | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mundy Mill Arts Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gainesville Exploration Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,077
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 931
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 896
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 825
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 767
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Gainesville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Chestatee Elementary
Standard public school
1,159 students 14.3:1 students per teacher
Mundy Mill Arts Academy
Standard public school
825 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Chicopee Elementary School
Standard public school
809 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Lyman Hall Elementary School
Standard public school
785 students 13.5:1 students per teacher
Enota Multiple Intelligences Academy
Standard public school
767 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Centennial Arts Academy
Standard public school
760 students 13.3:1 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 (~536 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gainesville Exploration Academy's federal record.
- Compare Gainesville Exploration Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Gainesville City'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 Gainesville Exploration Academy
How many students attend Gainesville Exploration Academy?
Gainesville Exploration Academy has 536 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gainesville, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gainesville Exploration Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Gainesville Exploration Academy is 13.7:1, which is 5% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 13% 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 Gainesville Exploration Academy?
66.8% of students at Gainesville Exploration Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gainesville Exploration Academy?
The largest demographic group at Gainesville Exploration Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 69.6% of enrollment, in Gainesville, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gainesville Exploration Academy?
Gainesville Exploration Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Gainesville Exploration Academy rank among schools in Gainesville?
By Resource Investment Index, Gainesville Exploration Academy ranks #16 of 21 schools in Gainesville, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Gainesville on the city page.
Is Gainesville Exploration Academy a good school?
Gainesville Exploration Academy earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. 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 Gainesville City?
Besides Gainesville Exploration Academy, Gainesville City also operates Gainesville High School (2,077 students), Gainesville Middle School West (931 students), and Gainesville Middle School East (896 students). See the Gainesville City 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.