Enrollment
796
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 130102002301
West Chatham Elementary School — Pooler, GA
Federal NCES profile for West Chatham Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 33/100.
👥 Class size 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 20
📋 Attendance 5
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Savannah-Chatham County · Georgia
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 14.5:1 Georgia avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.2%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
-16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Chatham Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
West Chatham Elementary School reports 796 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 54.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 8% above the Georgia state mean of 14.5:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 2% lower, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 51.2% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 16% below the Georgia average and 1% below the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 398 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 37.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding Savannah-Chatham County spends $17,225 per pupil district-wide, above the Georgia average of $15,679 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 57.2% from local sources (property taxes), 24.5% from the state, and 18.2% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How West Chatham Elementary School compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Georgia state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Georgia | Georgia avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.6:1 | ▲ 8% | 14.5:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.2% | ▼ 16% | 60.7% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 796 | top 68% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
51.2%
free-lunch eligible
— 16% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
— 8% above state mean
Top 73% in Georgia — lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,225
per pupil, district-wide
— above Georgia avg of $15,679
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 398 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 796 Top 68% in Georgia — larger than 32% of 2,315 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 54.0
Students per teacher 15.6:1 +8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 51.2% -16% vs state
NCES ID 130102002301
Student demographics
African American 58.5%
White 14.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.7%
Two or More 8.7%
Asian 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 58.5% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 2.0
Students per counselor 398:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 37.9%
In-school suspensions 2
Out-of-school suspensions 52
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Savannah-Chatham County, which includes West Chatham Elementary School.
$17,225
Per student
+10%
vs Georgia
Avg $15,679
-12%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 57.2%
State 24.5%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,585
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Enrollment
- 1,469
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 1,265
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Enrollment
- 1,147
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Enrollment
- 1,123
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
Similar other schools in Pooler
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about West Chatham Elementary School
How many students attend West Chatham Elementary School?
West Chatham Elementary School has 796 students enrolled. It is a other school in Pooler, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Chatham Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Chatham Elementary School is 15.6:1, which is 8% higher than the Georgia average of 14.5:1 and 2% lower than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Chatham Elementary School?
51.2% of students at West Chatham Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Chatham Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at West Chatham Elementary School is African American at 58.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Pooler, GA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Chatham Elementary School?
West Chatham Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.