Enrollment
626
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Austell, GA
Sanders Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sanders Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130129002150
👥 S:T ratio 53
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sanders Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% of Georgia schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Austell · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.8:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 71.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Sanders Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 83% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Austell, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
53.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sanders Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sanders Elementary School
Sanders Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Austell, Georgia, enrolling 626 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 11.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 71.8% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 626 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 343 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #186.
Its student body is led by African American (56%) and Hispanic or Latino (35%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 42.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Austell's public schools, it stands alongside Clarkdale Elementary School (785 students): Sanders Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.8:1 vs 13.1:1).
Cobb County also operates Campbell High School (3,085 students) and Osborne High School (2,790 students) alongside Sanders 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 Sanders Elementary School compares
Sanders 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 | 11.8:1 | ▼ 18% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.8% | ▲ 18% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 626 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.8:1
Leaner classes than 77% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
626
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
11.8:1
students per teacher
- 18% below state mean
Top 17% in Georgia - lower ratio than 83% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
42.7%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
17
in-school suspensions + 47 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.2 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
African American 56.4%
Hispanic or Latino 35.1%
White 3.8%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 56.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.6, Sanders 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 Sanders 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 Sanders 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 | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Cobb High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sanders 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 Austell
2 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 (~626 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sanders Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sanders 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 Sanders Elementary School
How many students attend Sanders Elementary School?
Sanders Elementary School has 626 students enrolled. It is a public school in Austell, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanders Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanders Elementary School is 11.8:1, which is 18% 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 Sanders Elementary School?
71.8% of students at Sanders Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sanders Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sanders Elementary School is African American at 56.4% of enrollment, in Austell, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sanders Elementary School?
Sanders 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 Sanders Elementary School rank among schools in Austell?
By Resource Investment Index, Sanders Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Austell, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Austell on the city page.
Is Sanders Elementary School a good school?
Sanders Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 83% 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 Sanders 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.