Enrollment
1,591
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Cumming, GA
Sawnee Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sawnee Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130222002173
👥 S:T ratio 35
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sawnee Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Georgia schools.
- #14 of 16
- schools in Cumming · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.2:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 13.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sawnee Elementary School has class sizes larger than 78% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sawnee Elementary School ranks #14 of 16 schools in Cumming, GA.
School address
District: Forsyth County · Georgia
NCES ID 130222002173 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
98.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.2:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sawnee Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sawnee Elementary School
Sawnee Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large combined-grade school in Cumming, Georgia, enrolling 1,591 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.3% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Georgia average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 93% of state schools at 1,591 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 146 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #102.
Its student body is led by Asian (41%) and White (37%) (diversity index 67/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 530 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Forsyth County spends $10,928 per pupil, 21% below the Georgia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Among Cumming's public schools, it stands alongside Poole's Mill Elementary (1,384 students): Sawnee Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.2:1 vs 20.1:1).
Forsyth County also operates Lambert High School (3,249 students) and South Forsyth High School (2,634 students) alongside Sawnee 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 Sawnee Elementary School compares
Sawnee 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 | 16.2:1 | ▲ 12% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.3% | ▼ 78% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,591 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.2:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,591
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% below the Georgia average of 60.7%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.2:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 78% in Georgia - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,928
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 530 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
10
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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
Asian 41.4%
White 37.3%
Hispanic or Latino 14.0%
African American 3.1%
Two or More 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Largest group: Asian at 41.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.8, Sawnee 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 Forsyth County, which includes Sawnee Elementary School.
$10,928
Per student
-21%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 54.6%
State 38.4%
Federal 7.0%
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 Sawnee Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lambert High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Forsyth High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Denmark High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Forsyth High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Forsyth Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sawnee Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,249
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 2,634
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 2,527
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 2,503
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,457
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
Similar other schools in Cumming
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Poole's Mill Elementary
Standard public school
1,384 students 20.1:1 students per teacher
George W. Whitlow Elementary
Standard public school
1,247 students 14.2:1 students per teacher
Matt Elementary School
Standard public school
1,171 students 16.3:1 students per teacher
Silver City Elementary School
Standard public school
1,142 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Kelly Mill Elementary
Standard public school
1,104 students 17:1 students per teacher
Vickery Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
982 students 15.3:1 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 (~1,591 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sawnee Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sawnee Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Forsyth 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 Sawnee Elementary School
How many students attend Sawnee Elementary School?
Sawnee Elementary School has 1,591 students enrolled. It is a public school in Cumming, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sawnee Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sawnee Elementary School is 16.2:1, which is 12% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 3% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sawnee Elementary School?
13.3% of students at Sawnee Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sawnee Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sawnee Elementary School is Asian at 41.4% of enrollment, in Cumming, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sawnee Elementary School?
Sawnee 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 Sawnee Elementary School rank among schools in Cumming?
By Resource Investment Index, Sawnee Elementary School ranks #14 of 16 schools in Cumming, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Cumming on the city page.
Is Sawnee Elementary School a good school?
Sawnee Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% 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 Forsyth County?
Besides Sawnee Elementary School, Forsyth County also operates Lambert High School (3,249 students), South Forsyth High School (2,634 students), and Denmark High School (2,527 students). See the Forsyth 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.