Enrollment
932
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Thomaston, GA
Upson-Lee Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Upson-Lee Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130528002199
👥 S:T ratio 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Upson-Lee Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Thomaston · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15:1
- students per teacher
- 94.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Upson-Lee Elementary School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Thomaston, GA.
School address
District: Thomaston-Upson County · Georgia
NCES ID 130528002199 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
94.2%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+55% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Upson-Lee Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Upson-Lee Elementary School
Upson-Lee Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Thomaston, Georgia, enrolling 932 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 94.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 932 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 349 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #67.
Its student body is led by White (55%) and African American (35%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 466 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee High School (1,177 students) and Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students) alongside Upson-Lee 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 Upson-Lee Elementary School compares
Upson-Lee 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 | 15:1 | ▲ 4% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 94.2% | ▲ 55% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 932 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15:1
Leaner classes than 47% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
932
Bigger than 90% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
94.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 55% 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
15:1
students per teacher
- 4% above state mean
Top 64% in Georgia - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,639
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 466 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
126
in-school suspensions + 14 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.0 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 54.7%
African American 34.8%
Two or More 5.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 54.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.5, Upson-Lee 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 Thomaston-Upson County, which includes Upson-Lee Elementary School.
$13,639
Per student
-2%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.8%
State 50.0%
Federal 22.2%
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.
How Upson-Lee Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upson-Lee High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upson-Lee Primary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upson-Lee Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Upson-Lee Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,177
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 993
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 894
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar elementary 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 (~932 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Upson-Lee Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Upson-Lee Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Thomaston-Upson 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 Upson-Lee Elementary School
How many students attend Upson-Lee Elementary School?
Upson-Lee Elementary School has 932 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Thomaston, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee Elementary School is 15:1, which is 4% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 4% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Upson-Lee Elementary School?
94.2% of students at Upson-Lee Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Upson-Lee Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Upson-Lee Elementary School is White at 54.7% of enrollment, in Thomaston, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Upson-Lee Elementary School?
Upson-Lee Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Upson-Lee Elementary School rank among public schools in Thomaston?
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee Elementary School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Thomaston, 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 Thomaston on the city page.
Is Upson-Lee Elementary School a good school?
Upson-Lee Elementary School 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 Thomaston-Upson County?
Besides Upson-Lee Elementary School, Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee High School (1,177 students), Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students), and Upson-Lee Middle School (894 students). See the Thomaston-Upson 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.