Enrollment
480
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Saint Marys, GA
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Mary Lee Clark Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130078000794
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 4
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #3 of 4
- schools in Saint Marys · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 36.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lee Clark Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Saint Marys, GA.
School address
District: Camden County · Georgia
NCES ID 130078000794 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Mary Lee Clark Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Saint Marys, Georgia, enrolling 480 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 36.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 480 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Among 271 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #203, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (15%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 480 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Saint Marys's public schools, it stands alongside Sugarmill Elementary (651 students): Mary Lee Clark Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15:1 vs 14.8:1).
Camden County also operates Camden County High School (2,912 students) and Camden Middle School (1,078 students) alongside Mary Lee Clark 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 Mary Lee Clark Elementary School compares
Mary Lee Clark 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.0% | ▼ 41% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 480 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
480
Bigger than 59% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Georgia - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.3%
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
$11,637
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 480 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
11
in-school suspensions + 4 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.1 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
White 55.8%
Hispanic or Latino 15.4%
African American 15.0%
Two or More 12.9%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 55.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.6, Mary Lee Clark Elementary School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Camden County, which includes Mary Lee Clark Elementary School.
$11,637
Per student
-16%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.1%
State 53.3%
Federal 12.6%
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 Mary Lee Clark Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Camden Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Saint Marys Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Matilda Harris Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sugarmill Elementary | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Mary Lee Clark Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,912
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 1,078
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,077
- Students per teacher
- 15.2:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 651
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
Similar other schools in Saint Marys
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~480 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Mary Lee Clark Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Mary Lee Clark Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Camden 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 Mary Lee Clark Elementary School
How many students attend Mary Lee Clark Elementary School?
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School has 480 students enrolled. It is a public school in Saint Marys, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School is 15:1, which is 4% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School?
36.0% of students at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Mary Lee Clark Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Mary Lee Clark Elementary School is White at 55.8% of enrollment, in Saint Marys, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Mary Lee Clark Elementary School?
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Mary Lee Clark Elementary School rank among schools in Saint Marys?
By Resource Investment Index, Mary Lee Clark Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 schools in Saint Marys, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Saint Marys on the city page.
Is Mary Lee Clark Elementary School a good school?
Mary Lee Clark Elementary School earns 40/100 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 Camden County?
Besides Mary Lee Clark Elementary School, Camden County also operates Camden County High School (2,912 students), Camden Middle School (1,078 students), and Saint Marys Middle School (1,077 students). See the Camden 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.