Enrollment
568
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Smyrna, GA
Russell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Russell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130129000568
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 27
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Russell Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Georgia schools.
- #3 of 9
- schools in Smyrna · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.6:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 59.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Russell Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Russell Elementary School ranks #3 of 9 schools in Smyrna, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Russell Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Russell Elementary School
Russell Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Smyrna, Georgia, enrolling 568 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.6:1, Russell Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Georgia schools and 19% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.8% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 568 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 350 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #114.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (52%) and African American (34%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Smyrna's public schools, it stands alongside Nickajack Elementary School (1,260 students): Russell Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.6:1 vs 16.4:1).
Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students) and Osborne High School (2,790 students) alongside Russell 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 Russell Elementary School compares
Russell 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 | 11.6:1 | ▼ 19% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.8% | ▼ 1% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 568 | top 59% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.6:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
568
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 15% in Georgia - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
29.4%
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
$13,203
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.6 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
Hispanic or Latino 52.1%
African American 34.3%
White 7.0%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 60.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 60.3, Russell 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 Cobb County, which includes Russell Elementary School.
$13,203
Per student
-5%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-20%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.6%
State 35.4%
Federal 11.9%
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 Russell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Osborne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pebblebrook High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Cobb High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Russell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,085
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,790
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,705
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 2,574
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,463
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Smyrna
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Nickajack Elementary School
Standard public school
1,260 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
King Springs Elementary School
Standard public school
1,101 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Teasley Elementary School
Standard public school
974 students 15:1 students per teacher
Smyrna Elementary School
Standard public school
870 students 11.3:1 students per teacher
Norton Park Elementary School
Standard public school
643 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Green Acres Elementary School
Standard public school
584 students 11.2:1 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 (~568 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Russell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Russell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Cobb 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 Russell Elementary School
How many students attend Russell Elementary School?
Russell Elementary School has 568 students enrolled. It is a public school in Smyrna, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Russell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Russell Elementary School is 11.6:1, which is 19% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 26% 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 Russell Elementary School?
59.8% of students at Russell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Russell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Russell Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 52.1% of enrollment, in Smyrna, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 60.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Russell Elementary School?
Russell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Russell Elementary School rank among schools in Smyrna?
By Resource Investment Index, Russell Elementary School ranks #3 of 9 schools in Smyrna, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Smyrna on the city page.
Is Russell Elementary School a good school?
Russell Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Cobb County?
Besides Russell Elementary School, Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students), Osborne High School (2,790 students), and Walton High School (2,705 students). See the Cobb 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.