Enrollment
436
Georgia · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Waycross, GA
Williams Heights Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Williams Heights Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 130543001393
👥 S:T ratio 54
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 54
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Williams Heights Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools.
- #2 of 5
- elementary schools in Waycross · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 11.5:1
- small classes for Georgia
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Williams Heights Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 86% of Georgia schools. Computed live against every Georgia school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Williams Heights Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary schools in Waycross, GA.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.5:1
vs 14.4:1 Georgia avg
-20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 60.7% Georgia avg
+32% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Williams Heights Elementary School compares with Georgia and U.S. medians
What stands out at Williams Heights Elementary School
Williams Heights Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Waycross, Georgia, enrolling 436 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.5:1, Williams Heights Elementary School is leaner than roughly 86% of Georgia schools and 20% under the state's 14.4:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 436 puts it in the smaller third of Georgia schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 2,314 scored Georgia schools.
Against 252 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #35.
Its student body is led by African American (52%) and White (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 436 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights 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 elementary schools, it stands alongside Center Elementary School (470 students): Williams Heights Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (11.5:1 vs 13.8:1).
Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students) and Wacona Elementary School (885 students) alongside Williams Heights 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 Williams Heights Elementary School compares
Williams Heights 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 | 11.5:1 | ▼ 20% | 14.4:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 32% | 60.7% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 436 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.5:1
Leaner classes than 79% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
436
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
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
11.5:1
students per teacher
- 20% below state mean
Top 14% in Georgia - lower ratio than 86% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
18.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 436 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.7 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
African American 51.8%
White 31.9%
Two or More 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.7%
Asian 1.4%
Largest group: African American at 51.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.8, Williams Heights 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 Williams Heights 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 Williams Heights Elementary 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 | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ware County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Waycross Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Center Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Williams Heights 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
- 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
Similar elementary schools in Waycross
4 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Center Elementary School
Standard public school
470 students 13.8:1 students per teacher
Waresboro Elementary School
Standard public school
429 students 12.6:1 students per teacher
Ruskin Elementary School
Standard public school
363 students 11.7:1 students per teacher
Memorial Drive Elementary School
Standard public school
346 students 10.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~436 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~11.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Williams Heights Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Williams Heights 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 Williams Heights Elementary School
How many students attend Williams Heights Elementary School?
Williams Heights Elementary School has 436 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Waycross, GA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Williams Heights Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Williams Heights Elementary School is 11.5:1, which is 20% lower than the Georgia average of 14.4:1 and 27% 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 Williams Heights Elementary School?
80.3% of students at Williams Heights Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Georgia average of 60.7%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Williams Heights Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Williams Heights Elementary School is African American at 51.8% of enrollment, in Waycross, GA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Williams Heights Elementary School?
Williams Heights Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Williams Heights Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Waycross?
By Resource Investment Index, Williams Heights Elementary School ranks #2 of 5 elementary 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 elementary schools in Waycross on the city page.
Is Williams Heights Elementary School a good school?
Williams Heights Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 86% 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 Williams Heights Elementary School, Ware County also operates Ware County High School (1,633 students), Wacona Elementary School (885 students), and Ware County Middle School (752 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.