Enrollment
350
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dalton, GA
Varnell Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Varnell Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 57/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130570001831
👥 S:T ratio 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Varnell Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Georgia schools.
- #2 of 28
- public schools in Dalton · Resource Index
- 57
- Resource Index · Higher
- 12.5:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 49.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Varnell Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 74% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Varnell Elementary School ranks #2 of 28 public schools in Dalton, GA.
School address
District: Whitfield County · Georgia
NCES ID 130570001831 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
28.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
12.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.5%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Varnell Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Varnell Elementary School
Varnell Elementary School is a small elementary school in Dalton, Georgia, enrolling 350 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 12.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 49.5% lands close to the Georgia typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 350 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 94% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 144 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #10, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and Hispanic or Latino (33%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 350 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 18.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dalton's elementary schools, it stands alongside New Hope Elementary School (511 students): Varnell Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (12.5:1 vs 13.1:1).
Whitfield County also operates Southeast Whitfield County High School (1,453 students) and Northwest Whitfield County High School (1,098 students) alongside Varnell 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 Varnell Elementary School compares
Varnell 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 | 12.5:1 | ▼ 13% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.5% | ▼ 18% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 350 | top 86% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
12.5:1
Leaner classes than 71% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
350
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
12.5:1
students per teacher
- 13% below state mean
Top 26% in Georgia - lower ratio than 74% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
8.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,781
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 350 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 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 59.4%
Hispanic or Latino 32.6%
African American 2.9%
Asian 2.3%
Two or More 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: White at 59.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.9, Varnell 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 Whitfield County, which includes Varnell Elementary School.
$12,781
Per student
-8%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.3%
State 52.5%
Federal 18.2%
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 Varnell Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Whitfield County High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Northwest Whitfield County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Coahulla Creek High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| North Whitfield Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Eastbrook Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Varnell Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,453
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,098
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,041
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 731
- Students per teacher
- 13.5:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 624
- Students per teacher
- 13.3:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar elementary schools in Dalton
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~350 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Varnell Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Varnell Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Whitfield 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 Varnell Elementary School
How many students attend Varnell Elementary School?
Varnell Elementary School has 350 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dalton, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Varnell Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Varnell Elementary School is 12.5:1, which is 13% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 20% 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 Varnell Elementary School?
49.5% of students at Varnell Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Varnell Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Varnell Elementary School is White at 59.4% of enrollment, in Dalton, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Varnell Elementary School?
Varnell Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 57/100 (higher 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 Varnell Elementary School rank among public schools in Dalton?
By Resource Investment Index, Varnell Elementary School ranks #2 of 28 public 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 public schools in Dalton on the city page.
Is Varnell Elementary School a good school?
Varnell Elementary School earns 57/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 74% of Georgia schools. 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 Whitfield County?
Besides Varnell Elementary School, Whitfield County also operates Southeast Whitfield County High School (1,453 students), Northwest Whitfield County High School (1,098 students), and Coahulla Creek High School (1,041 students). See the Whitfield 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.