Enrollment
690
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Riverdale, GA
Harper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Harper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130123002524
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harper Elementary School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Riverdale · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 90.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Harper Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harper Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Riverdale, GA.
School address
District: Clayton County · Georgia
NCES ID 130123002524 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
90.4%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+49% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Harper Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Harper Elementary School
Harper Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Riverdale, Georgia, enrolling 690 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 90.4% of students eligible for free meals.
With 690 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 524 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #287.
Its student body is led by African American (63%) and Hispanic or Latino (32%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 345 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 48.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 15.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Riverdale's public schools, it stands alongside Church Street Elementary School (706 students): Harper Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 14.7:1).
Clayton County also operates Morrow High School (2,077 students) and Lovejoy High School (2,049 students) alongside Harper 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 Harper Elementary School compares
Harper 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 90.4% | ▲ 49% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 690 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
690
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
90.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 49% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 32% in Georgia - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
48.8%
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
$12,136
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 345 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 21 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.0 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 62.6%
Hispanic or Latino 32.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.9%
White 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 62.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Harper 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 Clayton County, which includes Harper Elementary School.
$12,136
Per student
-12%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.4%
State 51.5%
Federal 15.1%
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 Harper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrow High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lovejoy High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forest Park High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Charles R. Drew High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mundy's Mill High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Harper Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,077
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 2,049
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 23/100
- Enrollment
- 1,711
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,708
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,665
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar other schools in Riverdale
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Church Street Elementary School
Standard public school
706 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Riverdale Elementary School
Standard public school
559 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Pointe South Elementary School
Standard public school
508 students 13.7:1 students per teacher
Lake Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
498 students 11.6:1 students per teacher
Oliver Elementary School
Standard public school
452 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 (~690 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Harper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Clayton 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 Harper Elementary School
How many students attend Harper Elementary School?
Harper Elementary School has 690 students enrolled. It is a public school in Riverdale, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harper Elementary School is 13:1, which is 10% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 17% 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 Harper Elementary School?
90.4% of students at Harper Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Harper Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Harper Elementary School is African American at 62.6% of enrollment, in Riverdale, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harper Elementary School?
Harper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Harper Elementary School rank among schools in Riverdale?
By Resource Investment Index, Harper Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Riverdale, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Riverdale on the city page.
Is Harper Elementary School a good school?
Harper Elementary School earns 37/100 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 Clayton County?
Besides Harper Elementary School, Clayton County also operates Morrow High School (2,077 students), Lovejoy High School (2,049 students), and Forest Park High School (1,711 students). See the Clayton 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.