Enrollment
346
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waycross, GA
Memorial Drive Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Memorial Drive Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130543001776
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Memorial Drive Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Georgia schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 10.2:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 93.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Memorial Drive Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 94% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Memorial Drive Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-29% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Memorial Drive Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Memorial Drive Elementary School
Memorial Drive Elementary School is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 346 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.2:1, Memorial Drive Elementary School is leaner than roughly 94% of Georgia schools and 29% 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 93.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 346 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 295 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (36%) (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 346 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Waycross's elementary schools, it stands alongside Center Elementary School (470 students): Memorial Drive Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (10.2:1 vs 13.8:1).
Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students) and Wacona Elementary School (885 students) alongside Memorial Drive 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 Memorial Drive Elementary School compares
Memorial Drive 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 | 10.2:1 | ▼ 29% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.8% | ▲ 55% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 346 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.2:1
Leaner classes than 88% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
346
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
10.2:1
students per teacher
- 29% below state mean
Top 6% in Georgia - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
26.6%
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
$14,213
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 346 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.6 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 48.0%
African American 36.1%
Two or More 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 4.6%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: White at 48.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.1, Memorial Drive 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 Ware County, which includes Memorial Drive Elementary School.
$14,213
Per student
+3%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.7%
State 52.1%
Federal 22.2%
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 Memorial Drive Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wacona Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ware County Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Memorial Drive Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,633
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 885
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar elementary schools in Waycross
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Center Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Williams Heights Elementary School
Standard public school
436 students 11.5:1 students per teacher
Waresboro Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Ruskin Elementary School
Standard public school
363 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~346 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Memorial Drive Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Memorial Drive Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ware 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 Memorial Drive Elementary School
How many students attend Memorial Drive Elementary School?
Memorial Drive Elementary School has 346 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Memorial Drive Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Memorial Drive Elementary School is 10.2:1, which is 29% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 35% 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 Memorial Drive Elementary School?
93.8% of students at Memorial Drive Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Memorial Drive Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Memorial Drive Elementary School is White at 48.0% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Memorial Drive Elementary School?
Memorial Drive Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Memorial Drive Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Memorial Drive Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Waycross, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Waycross on the city page.
Is Memorial Drive Elementary School a good school?
Memorial Drive Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% 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 Ware County?
Besides Memorial Drive Elementary School, Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students), Wacona Elementary School (885 students), and Ware County Middle School (752 students). See the Ware 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.