Varnell Elementary School

Q: Is Varnell Elementary School a good school?

Varnell Elementary School ranks 555 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Varnell Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Dalton, Georgia, serving 374 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Whitfield County School District, which is ranked 88 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Varnell Elementary has maintained a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past several years, with its highest ranking being 299 out of 1,234 Georgia elementary schools in the 2018-2019 school year. The school's test scores show some areas of strength, with higher proficiency rates in 3rd grade Math and 4th grade Math compared to the Whitfield County and Georgia averages. However, the school's performance in English Language Arts and 5th grade Science lags behind the district and state averages. Varnell Elementary also has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 65.51% in the 2022-2023 school year, which is higher than the state average.

When comparing Varnell Elementary to other nearby schools in the Whitfield County district, Tunnel Hill Elementary and Cohutta Elementary consistently outperform Varnell on state assessments, particularly in English Language Arts and Math. On the other hand, Dawnville Elementary and Beaverdale Elementary have lower proficiency rates than Varnell across most subject areas. Despite Varnell Elementary's relatively consistent per-student spending, the school's academic performance lags behind some of the higher-spending nearby schools, suggesting that factors beyond just funding may play a significant role in student outcomes.

Detail:

Public K-5

3900 Cleveland Rd
Dalton, GA 30721

(706) 694-3471

District: Whitfield County

SchoolDigger Rank:
555^th of 1,248 Georgia Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,594

Students who attend Varnell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	North Whitfield Middle School
High:	Coahulla Creek High School

Student/teacher ratio: 13.4

Number of students: 389

Racial breakdown:

White:

58.4%

Hispanic:

34.4%

Two or more races:

3.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 73.3%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Varnell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Varnell Elementary School ranks better than 55.5% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 8^th among 13 ranked elementary schools in the Whitfield County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.98. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (58.4%), Hispanic (34.4%), two or more races (3.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 73.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Varnell Elementary School is 13.4. 9 elementary schools in the Whitfield County School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Varnell Elementary School employs 28.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Varnell Elementary School is $10,594. 7 elementary schools in the Whitfield County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Varnell Elementary School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

Whitfield County:

SchoolDigger ranks Whitfield County 88^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Varnell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	46.54	679^th	1101	38.3%
2007	67.13	389^th	1125	65.4%
2008	60.11	498^th	1134	56.1%
2009	58.52	514^th	1133	54.6%
2010	59.88	538^th	1183	54.5%
2011	56.27	630^th	1212	48.0%
2012	66.38	457^th	1201	61.9%
2013	70.72	380^th	1225	69.0%
2014	66.11	482^nd	1231	60.8%
2015	54.43	525^th	1240	57.7%
2016	50.48	559^th	1233	54.7%
2017	53.63	501^st	1205	58.4%
2018	49.39	566^th	1209	53.2%
2019	72.56	299^th	1234	75.8%
2021	54.78	502^nd	1214	58.6%
2022	52.13	541^st	1244	56.5%
2023	54.49	512^th	1242	58.8%
2024	50.98	555^th	1248	55.5%

See the entire list of Georgia Elementary School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Georgia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Thursday, May 21, 2015

Great leadership. Well qualified teachers who work toward bringing out the best in their students in every area. The atmosphere is always inviting and the school feels homey and safe. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Varnell Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	586	586
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	616	616
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	616	616
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	652	652
1994	673	17	3	8	1	n/a	n/a	0	702
1995	683	14	4	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	718
1996	683	14	4	15	2	n/a	n/a	0	718
1997	706	12	2	31	3	n/a	n/a	0	754
1998	691	12	2	37	3	n/a	n/a	0	745
1999	669	12	2	54	2	n/a	n/a	0	739
2000	650	16	2	62	2	n/a	n/a	0	732
2001	468	5	2	43	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
2002	472	17	5	97	0	n/a	n/a	0	591
2003	472	17	5	97	0	n/a	n/a	0	591
2004	450	14	5	108	0	n/a	n/a	0	577
2005	422	17	4	142	1	n/a	n/a	25	611
2006	432	17	5	163	0	n/a	n/a	28	645
2007	309	16	5	193	0	n/a	n/a	20	543
2008	290	19	5	204	0	n/a	n/a	25	543
2009	292	8	4	206	0	n/a	n/a	20	530
2010	255	11	4	220	2	0	11	0	503
2011	225	22	2	209	1	0	15	0	474
2012	251	18	4	178	0	0	21	0	472
2013	275	16	3	165	2	0	25	0	486
2014	266	18	6	165	2	0	25	0	482
2015	277	13	6	165	2	0	22	0	485
2016	254	12	4	150	2	0	18	0	440
2017	239	6	4	145	2	0	18	0	414
2018	239	5	5	163	2	0	13	0	427
2019	236	2	1	159	0	0	15	0	413
2020	234	5	5	144	1	0	16	0	405
2021	203	5	8	137	2	0	15	0	370
2022	210	6	7	132	1	0	17	0	373
2023	218	3	8	128	2	0	15	0	374
2024	227	4	9	134	1	0	14	0	389

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Varnell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	586	32.0	18.3	16.4
1991	616	31.0	19.8	22.1
1992	616	30.5	20.1	28.1
1993	652	30.0	21.7	30.4
1994	702	36.6	19.2	32.5
1995	718	38.5	18.6	25.5
1996	718	38.5	18.6	25.5
1997	754	42.5	17.7	32.9
1998	745	43.0	17.3	34
1999	739	42.4	17.4	32.9
2000	732	39.5	18.5	35.5
2001	518	31.6	16.4	28.6
2002	591	36.0	16.4	40.4
2003	591	36.0	16.4	40.4
2004	577	38.5	15.0	41.4
2005	611	36.7	16.6	50.9
2006	645	45.4	14.2	52.2
2007	543	39.6	13.7	57.4
2008	543	38.4	14.1	61.4
2009	530	39.0	13.6	61.4
2010	503	34.5	14.5	67.2
2011	474	32.3	14.6	70
2012	472	30.5	15.4	68.6
2013	486	32.5	14.9	67.7
2014	482	32.5	14.8	65.6
2015	485	31.0	15.6	65.4
2016	440	29.0	15.1	66.4
2017	414	29.5	14.0	66.7
2018	427	30.5	14.0	71.2
2019	413	28.6	14.4	68.3
2020	405	29.3	13.8	70.4
2021	370	29.5	12.5	65.1
2022	373	27.7	13.4	n/a
2023	374	28.3	13.2	65.5
2024	389	28.9	13.4	73.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Varnell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	586	32.0	18.3	16.4
1991	616	31.0	19.8	22.1
1992	616	30.5	20.1	28.1
1993	652	30.0	21.7	30.4
1994	702	36.6	19.2	32.5
1995	718	38.5	18.6	25.5
1996	718	38.5	18.6	25.5
1997	754	42.5	17.7	32.9
1998	745	43.0	17.3	34
1999	739	42.4	17.4	32.9
2000	732	39.5	18.5	35.5
2001	518	31.6	16.4	28.6
2002	591	36.0	16.4	40.4
2003	591	36.0	16.4	40.4
2004	577	38.5	15.0	41.4
2005	611	36.7	16.6	50.9
2006	645	45.4	14.2	52.2
2007	543	39.6	13.7	57.4
2008	543	38.4	14.1	61.4
2009	530	39.0	13.6	61.4
2010	503	34.5	14.5	67.2
2011	474	32.3	14.6	70
2012	472	30.5	15.4	68.6
2013	486	32.5	14.9	67.7
2014	482	32.5	14.8	65.6
2015	485	31.0	15.6	65.4
2016	440	29.0	15.1	66.4
2017	414	29.5	14.0	66.7
2018	427	30.5	14.0	71.2
2019	413	28.6	14.4	68.3
2020	405	29.3	13.8	70.4
2021	370	29.5	12.5	65.1
2022	373	27.7	13.4	n/a
2023	374	28.3	13.2	65.5
2024	389	28.9	13.4	73.3

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Varnell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$410 (4.2%)	$9,423 (95.8%)	$9,834
2018	$359 (3.7%)	$9,466 (96.3%)	$9,825
2019	$551 (5.2%)	$10,044 (94.8%)	$10,594

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Varnell Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 299^th of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 512^th of 1242 Elementary schools	17%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Varnell Elementary School)	38.7	26.9	11.8%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Whitfield County)	42.7	35	7.7%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Varnell Elementary School)	74.2	47.8	26.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Whitfield County)	53.1	43.2	9.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Varnell Elementary School)	42.1	37.8	4.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Whitfield County)	39.5	32.5	7%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Varnell Elementary School)	59.2	44.6	14.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Whitfield County)	49.6	41.3	8.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Varnell Elementary School)	56.7	46.8	9.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Whitfield County)	42.8	35	7.8%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Varnell Elementary School)	56.7	38.7	18%
5th Grade Mathematics (Whitfield County)	37.9	32.1	5.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Varnell Elementary School)	52.2	39.3	12.9%
5th Grade Science (Whitfield County)	40.8	34.5	6.3%
5th Grade Science (Georgia)	43	40	3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	413	374	9.4%
African American	2	3	50%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	1	8	700%
Hispanic	159	128	19.5%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	236	218	7.6%
Two or More Races	15	15
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	68.3%	65.5%	2.8%

Schools Near Varnell Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)			Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)			Milestones Assessment Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Varnell Elementary School	Public	K-5	3900 Cleveland Rd	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 694-3471	389	29	13.4	73.3%	227 (58.4%)	4 (1.0%)	134 (34.4%)	9 (2.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.6%)	51	555^th of 1248 public elementary schools	55.5%		54.5	512^th of 1242 public elementary schools	58.8%	43	45.6	25.0	37.3	54.4	51.5	41.3	36.0	$10,594	$551	$10,044
New Hope Elementary School	Public	K-5	1175 New Hope Rd NW	Dalton	30720	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-3180	492	35	14.0	72.8%	301 (61.2%)	13 (2.6%)	147 (29.9%)	4 (0.8%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.3%)	72.2	316^th of 1248 public elementary schools	74.7%		64.6	403^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	67.6%	87	46.4	51.2	56.1	59.5	51.2	51.9	48.1	$9,601	$562	$9,039
Cohutta Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	254 Wolfe St	Cohutta	30710	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 694-8812	294	22	13.4	69.0%	238 (81.0%)	2 (0.7%)	35 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (5.4%)	68.8	361^st of 1248 public elementary schools	71.1%		64.9	398^th of 1242 public elementary schools	68.0%	37	68.3	50.0	51.2	80.5	47.8	29.3	43.9	$11,293	$514	$10,779
Beaverdale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1350 Prater Mill Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 275-4414	503	40	12.7	83.9%	367 (73.0%)	8 (1.6%)	100 (19.9%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.4%)	47.5	596^th of 1248 public elementary schools	52.2%		34.1	781^st of 1242 public elementary schools	37.1%	185	34.2	31.0	50.8	51.3	48.3	29.2	26.6	$11,520	$1,227	$10,293
Pleasant Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2725 Cleveland Hwy	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 259-3920	443	34	12.8	85.8%	156 (35.2%)	11 (2.5%)	261 (58.9%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.5%)	62	435^th of 1248 public elementary schools	65.1%		61.5	435^th of 1242 public elementary schools	65.0%		40.6	29.2	52.5	60.9	50.0	55.7	42.6	$11,009	$853	$10,156
Dawnville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1380 Dawnville Rd NE	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 259-3914	425	39	11.0	84.5%	163 (38.4%)	14 (3.3%)	230 (54.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	26.8	895^th of 1248 public elementary schools	28.3%		24.4	930^th of 1242 public elementary schools	25.1%	35	29.7	22.2	39.7	28.6	19.0	22.2	29.5	$10,778	$651	$10,127
Tunnel Hill Elementary School	Public	K-5	203 E School St	Tunnel Hill	30755	Whitfield County	Whitfield County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 673-4550	303	24	12.8	67.0%	221 (72.9%)	8 (2.6%)	64 (21.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (3.3%)	75.2	283^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	77.3%		63.8	412^th of 1242 public elementary schools	66.8%	129	51.9	53.1	58.5	75.0	67.3	41.5	44.6	$11,337	$400	$10,937
Park Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1500 Hale Bowen Dr	Dalton	30721	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 428-7700	583	52	11.1	88.2%	51 (8.7%)	19 (3.3%)	498 (85.4%)	4 (0.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.7%)	48.6	577^th of 1248 public elementary schools	53.8%		48.2	569^th of 1242 public elementary schools	54.2%	8	35.6	37.1	60.0	45.3	34.0	34.3	31.4	$12,371	$1,152	$11,219
Tiger Creek Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	134 Rhea McClanahan Dr	Tunnel Hill	30755	Whitfield County	Catoosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 935-9890	434	38	11.4	69.8%	366 (84.3%)	11 (2.5%)	29 (6.7%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.8%)	41.3	673^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	46.1%		41	671^st of 1242 public elementary schools	46.0%	2	23.0	36.8	40.0	18.9	51.5	38.6	40.0	$10,392	$525	$9,868
Westwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	708 Trammell St	Dalton	30720	Whitfield County	Dalton Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(706) 278-2809	596	46	13.0	64.9%	207 (34.7%)	43 (7.2%)	301 (50.5%)	24 (4.0%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	15 (2.5%)	71.5	324^th of 1248 public elementary schools	74.0%		72	317^th of 1242 public elementary schools	74.5%	7	40.2	36.0	72.6	37.0	61.6	72.6	65.5	$10,918	$476	$10,442

Frequently Asked Questions about Varnell Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Varnell Elementary School?

Students at Varnell Elementary School are 58% White, 34% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

What schools do graduates of Varnell Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Varnell Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : North Whitfield Middle School
High : Coahulla Creek High School

How many students attend Varnell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 389 students attended Varnell Elementary School.

What district is Varnell Elementary School in?

Whitfield County

Is Varnell Elementary School a good school?

Varnell Elementary School ranks 555^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Georgia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.