Enrollment
473
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lithia Springs, GA
Sweetwater Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sweetwater Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130186002157
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 5
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sweetwater Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #3 of 7
- public schools in Lithia Springs · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.1:1
- students per teacher
- 74.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sweetwater Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Lithia Springs, GA.
School address
District: Douglas County · Georgia
NCES ID 130186002157 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sweetwater Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sweetwater Elementary School
Sweetwater Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lithia Springs, Georgia, enrolling 473 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 473 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 262 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #149.
Its student body is led by African American (53%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 473 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Lithia Springs's public schools, it stands alongside Factory Shoals Elementary School (697 students): Sweetwater Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.1:1 vs 15.8:1).
Douglas County also operates Douglas County High School (1,958 students) and New Manchester High School (1,894 students) alongside Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater Elementary School compares
Sweetwater 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 | 13.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.3% | ▲ 22% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 473 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.1:1
Leaner classes than 66% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
473
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
13.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 33% in Georgia - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
26.0%
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
$12,996
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 473 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 20 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.1 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
African American 53.1%
Hispanic or Latino 33.2%
White 8.9%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 0.4%
Largest group: African American at 53.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.8, Sweetwater 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 Douglas County, which includes Sweetwater Elementary School.
$12,996
Per student
-6%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-22%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.8%
State 43.1%
Federal 18.1%
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 Sweetwater Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| New Manchester High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alexander High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chapel Hill High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Lithia Springs Comprehensive High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sweetwater Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,958
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,894
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 1,830
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,646
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,460
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar other schools in Lithia Springs
1 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 (~473 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sweetwater Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sweetwater Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Douglas 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 Sweetwater Elementary School
How many students attend Sweetwater Elementary School?
Sweetwater Elementary School has 473 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lithia Springs, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sweetwater Elementary School is 13.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 17% 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 Sweetwater Elementary School?
74.3% of students at Sweetwater Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sweetwater Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Sweetwater Elementary School is African American at 53.1% of enrollment, in Lithia Springs, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sweetwater Elementary School?
Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater Elementary School rank among public schools in Lithia Springs?
By Resource Investment Index, Sweetwater Elementary School ranks #3 of 7 public schools in Lithia Springs, 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 Lithia Springs on the city page.
Is Sweetwater Elementary School a good school?
Sweetwater Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median. 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 Douglas County?
Besides Sweetwater Elementary School, Douglas County also operates Douglas County High School (1,958 students), New Manchester High School (1,894 students), and Alexander High School (1,830 students). See the Douglas 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.