Enrollment
363
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waycross, GA
Ruskin Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ruskin Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130543001403
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 27
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ruskin Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Georgia schools.
- #1 of 5
- elementary schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.7:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 93.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Ruskin Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ruskin Elementary School ranks #1 of 5 elementary schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
31.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.7:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.7%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ruskin Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ruskin Elementary School
Ruskin Elementary School is a high-poverty, small elementary school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 363 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 93.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 363 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 93% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 326 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #18, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (33%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 363 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
12.1% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
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): Ruskin Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.7:1 vs 13.8:1).
Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students) and Wacona Elementary School (885 students) alongside Ruskin 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 Ruskin Elementary School compares
Ruskin 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 | 11.7:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.7% | ▲ 54% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 363 | top 85% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.7:1
Leaner classes than 78% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
363
Bigger than 42% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
11.7:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 16% in Georgia - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
12.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
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 363 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.2 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 43.3%
African American 32.8%
Hispanic or Latino 17.1%
Two or More 6.3%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 43.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.2, Ruskin 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 Ruskin 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 Ruskin 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 | Similar S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ruskin 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
Memorial Drive Elementary School
Standard public school
346 students 10.2:1 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 (~363 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ruskin Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ruskin 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 Ruskin Elementary School
How many students attend Ruskin Elementary School?
Ruskin Elementary School has 363 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ruskin Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ruskin Elementary School is 11.7:1, which is 19% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 25% 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 Ruskin Elementary School?
93.7% of students at Ruskin Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ruskin Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ruskin Elementary School is White at 43.3% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ruskin Elementary School?
Ruskin Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Ruskin Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Ruskin Elementary School ranks #1 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 Ruskin Elementary School a good school?
Ruskin Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% 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 Ruskin 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.