Enrollment
885
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Waycross, GA
Wacona Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wacona Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 130543001774
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wacona Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of Georgia schools.
- #10 of 10
- public schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.1:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 93.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Wacona Elementary School has class sizes larger than 91% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wacona Elementary School ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
49.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
93.7%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+54% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wacona Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wacona Elementary School
Wacona Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 885 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18.1:1 is larger than about 91% of Georgia schools and 26% above the 14.4:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 93.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 885 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 2,314 Georgia schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 381 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Georgia schools statewide, it ranks #314, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (58%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 578 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.2% 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.
Among Waycross's public schools, it stands alongside Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center (7 students): Wacona Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount.
Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students) and Ware County Middle School (752 students) alongside Wacona 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 Wacona Elementary School compares
Wacona 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 93.7% | ▲ 54% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 885 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
885
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
93.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 54% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 91% in Georgia - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
31.2%
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
$14,213
per pupil, district-wide
- above Georgia avg of $13,863
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 578 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 57 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.4 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 57.6%
African American 27.1%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 57.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.4, Wacona 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 Ware County, which includes Wacona Elementary School.
$14,213
Per student
+3%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.7%
State 52.1%
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 Wacona Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Ware County Middle School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Williams Heights Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wacona Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,633
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 752
- Students per teacher
- 13:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 606
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 470
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 11.5:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Waycross
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~885 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wacona Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wacona Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ware 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 Wacona Elementary School
How many students attend Wacona Elementary School?
Wacona Elementary School has 885 students enrolled. It is a public school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wacona Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wacona Elementary School is 18.1:1, which is 26% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Wacona Elementary School?
93.7% of students at Wacona Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wacona Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wacona Elementary School is White at 57.6% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wacona Elementary School?
Wacona Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Wacona Elementary School rank among public schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Wacona Elementary School ranks #10 of 10 public schools in Waycross, 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 Waycross on the city page.
Is Wacona Elementary School a good school?
Wacona Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% 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 Ware County?
Besides Wacona Elementary School, Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students), Ware County Middle School (752 students), and Waycross Middle School (606 students). See the Ware 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.