Enrollment
160
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Sparta, GA
Hancock Central Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Hancock Central Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130264003539
👥 S:T ratio 42
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 84
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hancock Central Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Georgia.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Sparta · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.5:1
- students per teacher
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Hancock Central Middle School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hancock Central Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sparta, GA.
School address
District: Hancock County · Georgia
NCES ID 130264003539 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hancock Central Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hancock Central Middle School
Hancock Central Middle School is a high-poverty, small middle school in Sparta, Georgia, enrolling 160 students.
At 14.5:1, 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.
Economic need is high: 100.0% of students qualify for free meals, 65% above the Georgia average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Georgia schools, with 160 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 36 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #22.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 10/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 80 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Hancock County spends $22,858 per pupil, 65% above the Georgia average, a better-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 28.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 72 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 160 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Hancock County also operates Lewis Elementary School (293 students) and Hancock Central High School (199 students) alongside Hancock Central 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 Hancock Central Middle School compares
Hancock Central 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 | 14.5:1 | ▲ 1% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 160 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.5:1
Leaner classes than 52% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
160
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% above the Georgia average of 60.7%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.5:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 56% in Georgia - lower ratio than 44% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.5%
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
$22,858
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 80 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
19
in-school suspensions + 53 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 45.0 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.
Student demographics
African American 95.0%
White 1.9%
Two or More 1.9%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 95.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 9.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 9.7, Hancock Central Middle School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hancock County, which includes Hancock Central Middle School.
$22,858
Per student
+65%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
+38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.2%
State 29.0%
Federal 28.8%
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 Hancock Central Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hancock Central High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hancock Central Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 293
- Students per teacher
- 11.7:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 199
- Students per teacher
- 9.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
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 (~160 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hancock Central Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Hancock Central Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Hancock 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 Hancock Central Middle School
How many students attend Hancock Central Middle School?
Hancock Central Middle School has 160 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Sparta, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hancock Central Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Hancock Central Middle School is 14.5:1, which is 1% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 8% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hancock Central Middle School?
100.0% of students at Hancock Central Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hancock Central Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Hancock Central Middle School is African American at 95.0% of enrollment, in Sparta, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hancock Central Middle School?
Hancock Central Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (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 Hancock Central Middle School rank among public schools in Sparta?
By Resource Investment Index, Hancock Central Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Sparta, 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 Sparta on the city page.
Is Hancock Central Middle School a good school?
Hancock Central Middle School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. It is also one of the smallest schools in Georgia. 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 Hancock County?
Besides Hancock Central Middle School, Hancock County also operates Lewis Elementary School (293 students) and Hancock Central High School (199 students). See the Hancock 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.