Enrollment
1,633
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Waycross, GA
Ware County High School
Federal NCES profile for Ware County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130543001777
👥 S:T ratio 41
📚 AP courses 50
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 29
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ware County High School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #9 of 10
- public schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- students per teacher
- 86.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ware County High School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ware County High School ranks #9 of 10 public schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
110.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
86.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+42% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ware County High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ware County High School
Ware County High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 1,633 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 14.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 86.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Georgia, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,633 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 87 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #19.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (40%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 10 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 402 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 28.5% 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: 413 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,633 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Ware County also operates Wacona Elementary School (885 students) and Ware County Middle School (752 students) alongside Ware County 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 Ware County High School compares
Ware County 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 | 14.8:1 | ▲ 3% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 86.3% | ▲ 42% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,633 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
1,633
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
86.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 42% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 61% in Georgia - lower ratio than 39% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
28.5%
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
Counselors4.1 FTE
Per 402 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
238
in-school suspensions + 175 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 25.3 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 43.8%
African American 39.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 6.6%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 43.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Ware County High School is more mixed than the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ware County, which includes Ware County High 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 Ware County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wacona Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ware County Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Heights Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ware County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 885
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- 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 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 (~1,633 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ware County High School's federal record.
- Compare Ware County High 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 Ware County High School
How many students attend Ware County High School?
Ware County High School has 1,633 students enrolled. It is a high school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ware County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ware County High School is 14.8:1, which is 3% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 6% lower than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Ware County High School?
86.3% of students at Ware County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ware County High School?
The largest demographic group at Ware County High School is White at 43.8% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ware County High School?
Ware County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Ware County High School rank among public schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Ware County High School ranks #9 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 Ware County High School a good school?
Ware County High School earns 42/100 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 Ware County?
Besides Ware County High School, Ware County also operates Wacona Elementary School (885 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.