Enrollment
263
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Thomasville, GA
Harper Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Harper Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130495001674
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 47
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Harper Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #3 of 5
- schools in Thomasville · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.4:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 91.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Harper Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Harper Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Thomasville, GA.
School address
District: Thomasville City · Georgia
NCES ID 130495001674 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.4:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
91.6%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+51% 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, small combined-grade school in Thomasville, Georgia, enrolling 263 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.4:1, Harper 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 91.6% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Georgia schools, with 263 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 163 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #89.
Its student body is predominantly African American (95% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 9/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 263 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 64 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 263 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Thomasville's public schools, it stands alongside Hand in Hand Primary (712 students): Harper Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.4:1 vs 14.8:1).
Thomasville City also operates Thomasville High School (742 students) and Jerger Elementary School (708 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 | 11.4:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 91.6% | ▲ 51% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 263 | top 92% | - | - |
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.
263
Bigger than 27% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
91.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 51% 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
40.7%
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
$14,428
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 263 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
42
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 24.3 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 95.4%
White 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 1.5%
Two or More 1.1%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 95.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 8.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 8.9, Harper Elementary School is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thomasville City, which includes Harper Elementary School.
$14,428
Per student
+4%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.6%
State 36.4%
Federal 21.0%
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 Harper Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomasville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jerger Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Macintyre Park Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Scott Elementary 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
- 742
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 708
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 530
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 379
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Thomasville
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Hand in Hand Primary
Standard public school
712 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Jerger Elementary School
Standard public school
708 students 14.4:1 students per teacher
Scott Elementary School
Standard public school
379 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Bishop Hall Charter School
Alternative education program
143 students 13:1 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 (~263 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Harper Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Harper Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Thomasville 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 Harper Elementary School
How many students attend Harper Elementary School?
Harper Elementary School has 263 students enrolled. It is a public school in Thomasville, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Harper Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Harper 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 Harper Elementary School?
91.6% 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 95.4% of enrollment, in Thomasville, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Harper Elementary School?
Harper Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Thomasville?
By Resource Investment Index, Harper Elementary School ranks #3 of 5 schools in Thomasville, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Thomasville on the city page.
Is Harper Elementary School a good school?
Harper Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Thomasville City?
Besides Harper Elementary School, Thomasville City also operates Thomasville High School (742 students), Jerger Elementary School (708 students), and Macintyre Park Middle School (530 students). See the Thomasville 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.