Enrollment
752
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Waycross, GA
Ware County Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Ware County Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 130543001779
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 41
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ware County Middle School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Georgia median.
- #6 of 10
- public schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13:1
- students per teacher
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Ware County Middle School has class sizes near the Georgia median. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ware County Middle School ranks #6 of 10 public schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
58.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ware County Middle School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ware County Middle School
Ware County Middle School is a high-poverty, mid-sized middle school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 752 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 13:1 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 752 students, its enrollment sits close to the Georgia median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 351 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #55.
Its student body is led by White (53%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 297 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.6% 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: 357 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 752 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Waycross's middle schools, it stands alongside Waycross Middle School (606 students): Ware County Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (13:1 vs 12.9:1).
Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students) and Wacona Elementary School (885 students) alongside Ware County 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 Ware County Middle School compares
Ware County 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 10% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 32% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 752 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
752
Bigger than 83% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 32% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 32% in Georgia - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.6%
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
$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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 297 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
224
in-school suspensions + 133 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 29.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 47.5 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 53.3%
African American 27.8%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%
Two or More 7.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 53.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.2, Ware County 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 Ware County, which includes Ware County Middle 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 Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wacona Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Heights Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ware County Middle 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
- 885
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- 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 middle schools in Waycross
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
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 (~752 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ware County Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Ware County Middle 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 Middle School
How many students attend Ware County Middle School?
Ware County Middle School has 752 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ware County Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ware County Middle School is 13:1, which is 10% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 17% 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 Ware County Middle School?
80.3% of students at Ware County Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ware County Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Ware County Middle School is White at 53.3% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ware County Middle School?
Ware County Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Ware County Middle School rank among public schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Ware County Middle School ranks #6 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 Middle School a good school?
Ware County Middle School earns 46/100 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 Middle School, Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students), Wacona Elementary School (885 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.