Enrollment
894
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Thomaston, GA
Upson-Lee Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Upson-Lee Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130528001723
👥 S:T ratio 44
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 16
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Upson-Lee Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Thomaston · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14:1
- students per teacher
- 82.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Upson-Lee Middle School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee Middle School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Thomaston, GA.
School address
District: Thomaston-Upson County · Georgia
NCES ID 130528001723 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
64.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
82.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Upson-Lee Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Upson-Lee Middle School
Upson-Lee Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Thomaston, Georgia, enrolling 894 students.
At 14:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 82.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 894 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 289 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #74.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (36%) (diversity index 60/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.6% 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: 341 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 894 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 23 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee High School (1,177 students) and Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students) alongside Upson-Lee Middle 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 Middle School compares
Upson-Lee Middle 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 | 14:1 | ▼ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 82.8% | ▲ 36% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 894 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14:1
Leaner classes than 57% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
894
Bigger than 89% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
82.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
14:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 49% in Georgia - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
33.6%
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 298 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
208
in-school suspensions + 133 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 23.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 23 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 51.9%
African American 36.0%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Asian 1.1%
Largest group: White at 51.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 59.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 59.5, Upson-Lee Middle 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 Middle 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 Middle 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 | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Upson-Lee Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Upson-Lee Middle 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
- 932
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar middle 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 (~894 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Upson-Lee Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Upson-Lee Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Upson-Lee Middle School?
Upson-Lee Middle School has 894 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Thomaston, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Upson-Lee Middle School is 14:1, which is 3% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 11% 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 Upson-Lee Middle School?
82.8% of students at Upson-Lee Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Upson-Lee Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Upson-Lee Middle School is White at 51.9% of enrollment, in Thomaston, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 59.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Upson-Lee Middle School?
Upson-Lee Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Middle School rank among public schools in Thomaston?
By Resource Investment Index, Upson-Lee Middle School ranks #3 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 Middle School a good school?
Upson-Lee Middle School earns 43/100 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 Middle School, Thomaston-Upson County also operates Upson-Lee High School (1,177 students), Upson-Lee Primary School (993 students), and Upson-Lee Elementary School (932 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.