Enrollment
456
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Middle school (grades 6-8) NCES 130258001154
South Habersham Middle School — Cornelia, GA
Federal NCES profile for South Habersham Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 50/100.
👥 Class size 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 68
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Habersham County · Georgia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
40.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 14.5:1 Georgia avg
-21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.9%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Habersham Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
South Habersham Middle School reports 456 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 40.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 11.5:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 21% below the Georgia state mean of 14.5:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 28% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 56.9% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 6% below the Georgia average and 10% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 456 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 12.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Habersham County spends $14,492 per pupil district-wide, below the Georgia average of $15,679 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 37.8% from local sources (property taxes), 48.0% from the state, and 14.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Habersham Middle School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Georgia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 11.5:1 | ▼ 21% | 14.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.9% | ▼ 6% | 60.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 456 | top 26% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
56.9%
free-lunch eligible
— 6% 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
11.5:1
students per teacher
— 21% below state mean
Top 10% in Georgia — lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Below the 15:1 benchmark — typical of schools with smaller class sizes and more individualized attention.
Engagement
12.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$14,492
per pupil, district-wide
— below Georgia avg of $15,679
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 456 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
81
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 17.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
Overview
Enrollment 456 Top 26% in Georgia — larger than 74% of 2,315 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 40.0
Students per teacher 11.5:1 -21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 56.9% -6% vs state
NCES ID 130258001154
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 51.1%
White 39.0%
Two or More 4.6%
African American 3.1%
Asian 2.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 51.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 456:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 12.7%
In-school suspensions 81
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Expulsions 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Habersham County, which includes South Habersham Middle School.
$14,492
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $15,679
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 37.8%
State 48.0%
Federal 14.2%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,611
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Enrollment
- 552
- Students per teacher
- 16.7:1
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 13.6:1
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about South Habersham Middle School
How many students attend South Habersham Middle School?
South Habersham Middle School has 456 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Cornelia, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Habersham Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at South Habersham Middle School is 11.5:1, which is 21% lower than the Georgia average of 14.5:1 and 28% lower than the national average of 15.9:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Habersham Middle School?
56.9% of students at South Habersham Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Habersham Middle School?
The largest demographic group at South Habersham Middle School is Hispanic or Latino at 51.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Cornelia, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Habersham Middle School?
South Habersham Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (C-) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.