Enrollment
765
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ludowici, GA
Smiley Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Smiley Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130336002409
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smiley Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Georgia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Georgia schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Ludowici · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 12:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 54.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Smiley Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smiley Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Ludowici, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-17% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
54.0%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smiley Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smiley Elementary School
Smiley Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ludowici, Georgia, enrolling 765 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 54.0% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 765 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 428 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #291.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 70/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 345 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 44.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Long County spends $10,423 per pupil, 25% below the Georgia average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Its district draws 21.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Long County also operates Long County High School (1,353 students) and Long County Middle School (1,007 students) alongside Smiley 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 Smiley Elementary School compares
Smiley 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 | 12:1 | ▼ 17% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 54.0% | ▼ 11% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 765 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12:1
Leaner classes than 75% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
765
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
54.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
12:1
students per teacher
- 17% below state mean
Top 19% in Georgia - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
44.2%
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
$10,423
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
Counselors2.2 FTE
Per 345 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
82
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.2 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 42.2%
African American 26.4%
Hispanic or Latino 20.1%
Two or More 9.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.8%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 70.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 70.2, Smiley 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 Long County, which includes Smiley Elementary School.
$10,423
Per student
-25%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 18.6%
State 59.9%
Federal 21.5%
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 Smiley Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Long County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mcclelland Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smiley Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,353
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,007
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 694
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~765 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~12:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smiley Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Smiley Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Long 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 Smiley Elementary School
How many students attend Smiley Elementary School?
Smiley Elementary School has 765 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ludowici, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smiley Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Smiley Elementary School is 12:1, which is 17% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 24% 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 Smiley Elementary School?
54.0% of students at Smiley Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Smiley Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Smiley Elementary School is White at 42.2% of enrollment, in Ludowici, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 70.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smiley Elementary School?
Smiley Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Smiley Elementary School rank among public schools in Ludowici?
By Resource Investment Index, Smiley Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Ludowici, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Ludowici on the city page.
Is Smiley Elementary School a good school?
Smiley Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Georgia schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Long County?
Besides Smiley Elementary School, Long County also operates Long County High School (1,353 students), Long County Middle School (1,007 students), and Mcclelland Elementary School (694 students). See the Long 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.