Enrollment
1,262
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Dexter, GA
West Laurens High School
Federal NCES profile for West Laurens High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 130189003887
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Laurens High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% of Georgia schools.
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- large classes for Georgia
- 84.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 1,262
- students enrolled
West Laurens High School has class sizes larger than 81% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Laurens County · Georgia
NCES ID 130189003887 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
76.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
+15% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
84.8%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Laurens High School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Laurens High School
West Laurens High School is a high-poverty, large high school in Dexter, Georgia, enrolling 1,262 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 84.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 1,262 puts it in the larger third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 136 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #93.
Its student body is led by White (64%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 631 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 345 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,262 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Laurens County also operates Southwest Laurens Elementary (967 students) and West Laurens Middle School (898 students) alongside West Laurens 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 West Laurens High School compares
West Laurens 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 | 16.6:1 | ▲ 15% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 84.8% | ▲ 40% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,262 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,262
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
84.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 15% above state mean
Top 81% in Georgia - lower ratio than 19% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
25.2%
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
$12,586
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 631 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
245
in-school suspensions + 100 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 expulsions.
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 63.9%
African American 26.5%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 63.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, West Laurens High School is about as mixed as the Georgia school average of 50.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Laurens County, which includes West Laurens High School.
$12,586
Per student
-9%
vs Georgia
Avg $13,863
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.8%
State 56.4%
Federal 18.8%
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 West Laurens High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Laurens Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Laurens Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Northwest Laurens Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Laurens High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Laurens Primary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Laurens High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 967
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 898
- Students per teacher
- 13.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 889
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 662
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 627
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
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 (~1,262 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Laurens High School's federal record.
- Compare West Laurens High School against another school. Compare schools
- Laurens 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 West Laurens High School
How many students attend West Laurens High School?
West Laurens High School has 1,262 students enrolled. It is a high school in Dexter, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Laurens High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Laurens High School is 16.6:1, which is 15% higher than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 6% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Laurens High School?
84.8% of students at West Laurens High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Laurens High School?
The largest demographic group at West Laurens High School is White at 63.9% of enrollment, in Dexter, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Laurens High School?
West Laurens High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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).
Is West Laurens High School a good school?
West Laurens High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 81% 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 Laurens County?
Besides West Laurens High School, Laurens County also operates Southwest Laurens Elementary (967 students), West Laurens Middle School (898 students), and Northwest Laurens Elementary (889 students). See the Laurens 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.