Enrollment
1,177
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Thomaston, GA
Upson-Lee High School
Federal NCES profile for Upson-Lee High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130528001724
👥 S:T ratio 39
📚 AP courses 40
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Upson-Lee High School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Thomaston · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.3:1
- students per teacher
- 70.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Upson-Lee High School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Thomaston, GA.
School address
District: Thomaston-Upson County · Georgia
NCES ID 130528001724 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.3:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.5%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Upson-Lee High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Upson-Lee High School
Upson-Lee High School is a higher-need, large high school in Thomaston, Georgia, enrolling 1,177 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 15.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 70.5% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 1,177 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 167 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #73.
Its student body is led by White (51%) and African American (37%) (diversity index 59/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 8 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 392 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 363 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,177 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students) and Upson-Lee Elementary School (932 students) alongside Upson-Lee High 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 High School compares
Upson-Lee High 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 | 15.3:1 | ▲ 6% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.5% | ▲ 16% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,177 | top 13% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.3:1
Leaner classes than 44% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,177
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
15.3:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 68% in Georgia - lower ratio than 32% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$13,639
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 392 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
221
in-school suspensions + 142 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 30.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 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
White 51.1%
African American 37.4%
Hispanic or Latino 5.8%
Two or More 4.8%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 51.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.3, Upson-Lee High School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Thomaston-Upson County, which includes Upson-Lee High 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 High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upson-Lee Primary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upson-Lee Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upson-Lee Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Upson-Lee High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 993
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 894
- Students per teacher
- 14:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~1,177 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Upson-Lee High School's federal record.
- Compare Upson-Lee High 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 High School
How many students attend Upson-Lee High School?
Upson-Lee High School has 1,177 students enrolled. It is a high school in Thomaston, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee High School is 15.3:1, which is 6% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Upson-Lee High School?
70.5% of students at Upson-Lee High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Upson-Lee High School?
The largest demographic group at Upson-Lee High School is White at 51.1% of enrollment, in Thomaston, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Upson-Lee High School?
Upson-Lee High School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Upson-Lee High School rank among public schools in Thomaston?
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee High School ranks #4 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 High School a good school?
Upson-Lee High School earns 41/100 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 High School, Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students), Upson-Lee Elementary School (932 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.