Enrollment
469
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dalton, GA
The Dalton Academy
Federal NCES profile for The Dalton Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130162004422
👥 S:T ratio 45
📚 AP courses 30
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 53
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
The Dalton Academy earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #1 of 5
- high schools in Dalton · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.8:1
- students per teacher
- 56.2%
- free-lunch eligible
The Dalton Academy has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, The Dalton Academy ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Dalton, GA.
School address
District: Dalton Public Schools · Georgia
NCES ID 130162004422 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.2%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How The Dalton Academy compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at The Dalton Academy
The Dalton Academy is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Dalton, Georgia, enrolling 469 students.
At 13.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Georgia median, within a few percentage points of the 14.4:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.2% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 469 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 305 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is predominantly Hispanic or Latino (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 6 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 235 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Dalton's high schools, it stands alongside Dalton High School (1,919 students): The Dalton Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.8:1 vs 21.8:1).
Dalton Public Schools also operates Dalton High School (1,919 students) and Hammond Creek Middle School (1,057 students) alongside The Dalton Academy.
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 The Dalton Academy compares
The Dalton Academy on the metrics families compare, against Georgia and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 13.8:1 | ▼ 4% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.2% | ▼ 7% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 469 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.8:1
Leaner classes than 59% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
469
Bigger than 58% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
13.8:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 45% in Georgia - lower ratio than 55% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.7%
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
$13,574
per pupil, district-wide
- below Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 235 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
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
Hispanic or Latino 82.5%
White 9.4%
African American 3.4%
Two or More 3.0%
Asian 1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 30.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 30.8, The Dalton Academy is less mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 6
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dalton Public Schools, which includes The Dalton Academy.
$13,574
Per student
-2%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.1%
State 44.1%
Federal 19.8%
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 The Dalton Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dalton High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hammond Creek Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| City Park Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Brookwood Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Blue Ridge Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to The Dalton Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,919
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 1,057
- Students per teacher
- 12:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- Enrollment
- 707
- Students per teacher
- 11.2:1
- Resource Index
- 53/100
- Enrollment
- 688
- Students per teacher
- 12.3:1
- Resource Index
- 52/100
- Enrollment
- 632
- Students per teacher
- 10.9:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar high schools in Dalton
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Dalton High School
Standard public school
1,919 students 21.8:1 students per teacher
Southeast Whitfield County High School
Standard public school
1,453 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Coahulla Creek High School
Standard public school
1,041 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Phoenix High School
Standard public school
141 students 14.1:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~469 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on The Dalton Academy's federal record.
- Compare The Dalton Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Dalton Public Schools'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 The Dalton Academy
How many students attend The Dalton Academy?
The Dalton Academy has 469 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dalton, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at The Dalton Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at The Dalton Academy is 13.8:1, which is 4% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 12% 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 The Dalton Academy?
56.2% of students at The Dalton Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of The Dalton Academy?
The largest demographic group at The Dalton Academy is Hispanic or Latino at 82.5% of enrollment, in Dalton, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for The Dalton Academy?
The Dalton Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does The Dalton Academy rank among high schools in Dalton?
By Resource Investment Index, The Dalton Academy ranks #1 of 5 high schools in Dalton, GA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Dalton on the city page.
Is The Dalton Academy a good school?
The Dalton Academy earns 44/100 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 Dalton Public Schools?
Besides The Dalton Academy, Dalton Public Schools also operates Dalton High School (1,919 students), Hammond Creek Middle School (1,057 students), and City Park Elementary School (707 students). See the Dalton Public Schools 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.