Enrollment
398
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Tifton, GA
Matt Wilson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Matt Wilson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130498001689
👥 S:T ratio 49
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Matt Wilson Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of Georgia schools.
- #1 of 7
- schools in Tifton · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12.8:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Matt Wilson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 71% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Matt Wilson Elementary School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Tifton, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Matt Wilson Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Matt Wilson Elementary School
Matt Wilson Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Tifton, Georgia, enrolling 398 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
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.
Enrollment of 398 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 328 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #54.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (25%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 398 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 22.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Tifton's public schools, it stands alongside Annie Belle Clark Elementary School (785 students): Matt Wilson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.8:1 vs 15.4:1).
Tift County also operates Tift County High School (2,207 students) and Eighth Street Middle School (883 students) alongside Matt Wilson 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 Matt Wilson Elementary School compares
Matt Wilson 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 | 12.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 65% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 398 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.8:1
Leaner classes than 68% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
398
Bigger than 47% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
12.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 29% in Georgia - lower ratio than 71% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$12,730
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 398 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 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 54.3%
White 24.9%
Hispanic or Latino 14.8%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: African American at 54.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.9, Matt Wilson 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 Tift County, which includes Matt Wilson Elementary School.
$12,730
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 30.1%
State 47.6%
Federal 22.3%
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 Matt Wilson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tift County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Eighth Street Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Annie Belle Clark Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northeast Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| G. O. Bailey Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Matt Wilson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,207
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 883
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 531
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar other schools in Tifton
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Annie Belle Clark Elementary School
Standard public school
785 students 15.4:1 students per teacher
G. O. Bailey Elementary School
Standard public school
531 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
Len Lastinger Elementary School
Standard public school
448 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Charles Spencer Elementary School
Standard public school
428 students 13:1 students per teacher
Northside Elementary School
Standard public school
405 students 11.9:1 students per teacher
J. T. Reddick Elementary School
Standard public school
339 students 14.7:1 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 (~398 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Matt Wilson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Matt Wilson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Tift 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 Matt Wilson Elementary School
How many students attend Matt Wilson Elementary School?
Matt Wilson Elementary School has 398 students enrolled. It is a public school in Tifton, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Matt Wilson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Matt Wilson Elementary School is 12.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 18% 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 Matt Wilson Elementary School?
100.0% of students at Matt Wilson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Matt Wilson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Matt Wilson Elementary School is African American at 54.3% of enrollment, in Tifton, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Matt Wilson Elementary School?
Matt Wilson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Matt Wilson Elementary School rank among schools in Tifton?
By Resource Investment Index, Matt Wilson Elementary School ranks #1 of 7 schools in Tifton, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Tifton on the city page.
Is Matt Wilson Elementary School a good school?
Matt Wilson Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 71% of 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 Tift County?
Besides Matt Wilson Elementary School, Tift County also operates Tift County High School (2,207 students), Eighth Street Middle School (883 students), and Annie Belle Clark Elementary School (785 students). See the Tift 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.