Big Shanty Elementary School

Q: Is Big Shanty Elementary School a good school?

Big Shanty Elementary School ranks 369 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Big Shanty Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Kennesaw, Georgia, serving grades 3-5 with a total enrollment of 539 students. The school is part of the Cobb County School District, which is ranked 52 out of 203 districts in Georgia and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Big Shanty Elementary consistently outperforms the Cobb County and Georgia state averages in Milestones Assessment test scores across all grade levels and subjects. For example, in 2023-2024, Big Shanty's 5th-grade English Language Arts proficiency rate was 53.9%, compared to 57.9% for Cobb County and 48.2% for the state. The school also has a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.1 to 12.5 over the past three years, and spends more per student ($10,570 to $11,901 over the past three years) compared to the state average, which could contribute to its strong academic performance.

When compared to the nearby schools, such as Acworth Intermediate School, Bullard Elementary School, and Blackwell Elementary School, Big Shanty Elementary generally outperforms them in test scores, particularly in mathematics. However, the school has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 42.4% to 45.27% over the past three years, suggesting it serves a diverse population with varying socioeconomic backgrounds. While Big Shanty Elementary performs well overall, there are a few areas where it could potentially improve, such as 5th-grade science proficiency, which has been lower than the Cobb County and state averages in recent years.

Detail:

Public 3-5

1575 Ben King Rd NW
Kennesaw, GA 30144

(678) 594-8023

District: Cobb County

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

Students who attend Big Shanty Elementary School usually attend:

High:

North Cobb High School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 539

Racial breakdown:

White:

33.2%

African American:

31.7%

Hispanic:

23.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 45.3%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Big Shanty Elementary School ranks better than 70.4% of elementary schools in Georgia. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 67.74. (See more...)

Student Body

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

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

Cobb County:

SchoolDigger ranks Cobb County 52^nd of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Big Shanty Elementary School.

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Rank History for Big Shanty Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	72.80	298^th	1101	72.9%
2007	68.41	375^th	1125	66.7%
2008	74.35	257^th	1134	77.3%
2009	71.05	317^th	1133	72.0%
2010	69.54	382^nd	1183	67.7%
2011	72.75	350^th	1212	71.1%
2012	68.54	412^th	1201	65.7%
2013	68.97	406^th	1225	66.9%
2014	68.27	435^th	1231	64.7%
2015	64.67	363^rd	1240	70.7%
2016	59.50	443^rd	1233	64.1%
2017	64.56	380^th	1205	68.5%
2018	55.65	482^nd	1209	60.1%
2019	61.79	432^nd	1234	65.0%
2021	56.62	480^th	1214	60.5%
2022	61.08	443^rd	1244	64.4%
2023	67.12	371^st	1242	70.1%
2024	67.74	369^th	1248	70.4%

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: 3.3)

50%

25%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, April 1, 2022

Please be an advocate for your children especially for your children with special needs. This school has failed to follow protocol and legal documents. They didn’t provide a safe education for my son. Nor do they have the tools and skills to deal with kids with special needs. The administration has failed at this school and something needs to be done. Close Quote

by a citizen
Thursday, August 11, 2016

Teachers work hard to try and please a principal whose main focus is on making herself look good to her superiors. Very little evidence of an innovative instructional techniques that improve student achievement. She does not care about instruction, just making the outside of the building look good so she can show it off to others.

Most teachers care a great deal about their students, but they receive no support from an administration that completely ignores bullying behavior and tends to sweep problems under the rug.

Several teachers have come to me in the community and told me how they were driven out of the school by the unprofessionalism and poor judgment of the administration. All are much happier that they have left, but feel sorry for those teachers who remain.

The school would be a lot better without its current principal. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, September 24, 2012

This school has great teachers and a new administration. Big Shanty does a wonderful job of preparing students for middle school, with more Big Shanty students taking Advanced Content classes at Awtrey than students from the charter school, for example. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Big Shanty Elementary School

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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	1164	1164
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	986	986
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1033	1033
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	1056	1056
1994	869	44	30	14	3	n/a	n/a	0	960
1995	829	50	34	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	923
1996	829	50	34	8	2	n/a	n/a	0	923
1997	797	57	36	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	906
1998	701	72	31	17	2	n/a	n/a	0	823
1999	625	62	33	13	3	n/a	n/a	0	736
2000	592	66	31	26	3	n/a	n/a	0	718
2001	557	77	30	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	697
2002	580	123	31	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	810
2003	580	123	31	76	0	n/a	n/a	0	810
2004	544	163	32	58	0	n/a	n/a	0	797
2005	461	151	24	64	3	n/a	n/a	45	748
2006	428	169	27	82	2	n/a	n/a	38	746
2007	425	179	36	98	1	n/a	n/a	44	783
2008	415	184	40	98	0	n/a	n/a	46	783
2009	430	212	39	105	3	n/a	n/a	57	846
2010	451	244	38	126	6	0	0	0	865
2011	449	180	36	121	3	0	39	0	828
2012	413	178	34	125	2	1	37	0	790
2013	398	160	36	113	1	0	55	0	763
2014	399	169	31	123	0	0	48	0	770
2015	363	173	39	126	1	0	58	0	760
2016	326	182	30	131	2	0	43	0	714
2017	267	172	26	116	0	0	36	0	617
2018	253	173	29	119	3	1	34	0	612
2019	199	152	27	124	1	2	40	0	545
2020	207	151	28	103	0	1	34	0	524
2021	176	166	26	121	2	1	34	0	526
2022	176	168	21	115	1	0	42	0	523
2023	179	171	19	125	1	0	44	0	539

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 Big Shanty Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1164	52.0	22.3	1.9
1991	986	58.0	17.0	5.5
1992	1033	53.5	19.3	7.7
1993	1056	60.0	17.6	9.4
1994	960	58.3	16.5	7.3
1995	923	56.0	16.5	9
1996	923	56.0	16.5	9
1997	906	52.0	17.4	11
1998	823	50.3	16.4	12.3
1999	736	45.3	16.2	10.6
2000	718	44.5	16.1	13.2
2001	697	47.0	14.8	14.5
2002	810	55.4	14.6	22.7
2003	810	55.4	14.6	22.7
2004	797	50.9	15.7	22.2
2005	748	52.7	14.2	28.6
2006	746	48.7	15.3	30.9
2007	783	53.2	14.7	33.6
2008	783	54.7	14.3	28.9
2009	846	58.9	14.4	32.1
2010	865	58.5	14.7	34.1
2011	828	55.0	15.0	35.7
2012	790	54.0	14.6	38
2013	763	55.0	13.8	39.3
2014	770	52.6	14.6	41
2015	760	56.0	13.5	42.8
2016	714	54.0	13.2	43.8
2017	617	49.8	12.3	41.3
2018	612	47.0	13.0	42.6
2019	545	47.5	11.4	43.7
2020	524	46.5	11.2	41.8
2021	526	47.2	11.1	42.4
2022	523	45.2	11.5	n/a
2023	539	43.1	12.5	45.3

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 Big Shanty Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	1164	52.0	22.3	1.9
1991	986	58.0	17.0	5.5
1992	1033	53.5	19.3	7.7
1993	1056	60.0	17.6	9.4
1994	960	58.3	16.5	7.3
1995	923	56.0	16.5	9
1996	923	56.0	16.5	9
1997	906	52.0	17.4	11
1998	823	50.3	16.4	12.3
1999	736	45.3	16.2	10.6
2000	718	44.5	16.1	13.2
2001	697	47.0	14.8	14.5
2002	810	55.4	14.6	22.7
2003	810	55.4	14.6	22.7
2004	797	50.9	15.7	22.2
2005	748	52.7	14.2	28.6
2006	746	48.7	15.3	30.9
2007	783	53.2	14.7	33.6
2008	783	54.7	14.3	28.9
2009	846	58.9	14.4	32.1
2010	865	58.5	14.7	34.1
2011	828	55.0	15.0	35.7
2012	790	54.0	14.6	38
2013	763	55.0	13.8	39.3
2014	770	52.6	14.6	41
2015	760	56.0	13.5	42.8
2016	714	54.0	13.2	43.8
2017	617	49.8	12.3	41.3
2018	612	47.0	13.0	42.6
2019	545	47.5	11.4	43.7
2020	524	46.5	11.2	41.8
2021	526	47.2	11.1	42.4
2022	523	45.2	11.5	n/a
2023	539	43.1	12.5	45.3

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 Big Shanty Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$229 (2.2%)	$10,400 (97.8%)	$10,629
2018	$608 (5.8%)	$9,961 (94.2%)	$10,570
2019	$198 (1.7%)	$11,703 (98.3%)	$11,901

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Big Shanty 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 432^nd of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 371^st of 1242 Elementary schools	5.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Big Shanty Elementary School)	44.7	47.6	2.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	48.5	47.2	1.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	38.6	3.4%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Big Shanty Elementary School)	55.9	56.8	0.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	58.1	50.4	7.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	52	45.6	6.4%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Big Shanty Elementary School)	43.1	42.1	1%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	50.8	46.3	4.5%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	42	36.1	5.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Big Shanty Elementary School)	62.1	52.3	9.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	57.4	52.8	4.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	49	45.7	3.3%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Big Shanty Elementary School)	49.7	53.6	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Cobb County)	54.9	51	3.9%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	45	41.6	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Big Shanty Elementary School)	45.9	36.3	9.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	47.2	44.2	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Big Shanty Elementary School)	48.6	39.1	9.5%
5th Grade Science (Cobb County)	47	44.1	2.9%
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	545	539	1.1%
African American	152	171	12.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	27	19	29.6%
Hispanic	124	125	0.8%
Pacific Islander	2	0	100%
White	199	179	10.1%
Two or More Races	40	44	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	43.7%	45.3%	1.6%

Schools Near Big Shanty 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
Big Shanty Elementary School	Public	3-5	1575 Ben King Rd NW	Kennesaw	30144	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8023	539	43	12.5	45.3%	179 (33.2%)	171 (31.7%)	125 (23.2%)	19 (3.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (8.2%)	67.7	369^th of 1248 public elementary schools	70.4%		67.1	371^st of 1242 public elementary schools	70.1%	2	46.4	51.6	53.9	57.9	65.9	41.4	35.1	$11,901	$198	$11,703
Kennesaw Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	3155 Jiles Rd NW	Kennesaw	30144	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8172	575	59	9.8	42.4%	205 (35.7%)	176 (30.6%)	120 (20.9%)	20 (3.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	53 (9.2%)								(n/a)								$10,671	$199	$10,472
Chalker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	325 N Booth Rd NW	Kennesaw	30144	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 494-7621	674	48	14.1	36.5%	289 (42.9%)	178 (26.4%)	125 (18.5%)	25 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	57 (8.5%)	57.2	475^th of 1248 public elementary schools	61.9%		51.2	538^th of 1242 public elementary schools	56.7%	63	46.7	34.3	55.5	48.6	31.5	45.4	42.9	$10,037	$255	$9,782
Baker Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2361 Baker Rd NW	Acworth	30101	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(770) 975-6629	785	63	12.5	42.2%	204 (26.0%)	290 (36.9%)	164 (20.9%)	57 (7.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	69 (8.8%)	70.8	336^th of 1248 public elementary schools	73.1%		69.7	337^th of 1242 public elementary schools	72.9%	1	48.7	46.2	55.7	48.3	55.2	57.3	47.3	$11,010	$627	$10,383
Pitner Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4575 Wade Green Rd NW	Acworth	30102	Cherokee County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8320	796	62	12.7	48.7%	276 (34.7%)	240 (30.2%)	169 (21.2%)	34 (4.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	73 (9.2%)	59.3	460^th of 1248 public elementary schools	63.1%		58.7	459^th of 1242 public elementary schools	63.0%	1	51.0	37.1	52.2	53.5	40.0	40.6	39.8	$10,941	$194	$10,747
Bells Ferry Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2600 Bells Ferry Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8950	716	50	14.2	46.8%	158 (22.1%)	260 (36.3%)	145 (20.3%)	106 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (6.6%)	63.1	424^th of 1248 public elementary schools	66.0%		59.5	449^th of 1242 public elementary schools	63.8%	25	42.5	38.9	56.5	49.3	45.4	50.4	44.4	$9,122	$190	$8,933
Hayes Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1501 Kennesaw Due West Rd NW	Kennesaw	30152	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8127	841	63	13.2	51.4%	245 (29.1%)	319 (37.9%)	166 (19.7%)	52 (6.2%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	55 (6.5%)	57.1	478^th of 1248 public elementary schools	61.7%		58	473^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	61.9%	5	43.0	38.2	50.0	47.1	45.4	39.7	43.2	$9,817	$592	$9,225
Acworth Intermediate School	Public	2-5	4220 Cantrell Rd NW	Acworth	30101	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 975-6600	520	51	10.2	61.5%	143 (27.5%)	174 (33.5%)	148 (28.5%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (9.2%)	57.7	473^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	62.1%		55.8	502^nd of 1242 public elementary schools	59.6%	29	48.4	40.2	49.3	53.2	37.8	37.0	42.8	$10,904	$588	$10,316
Bullard Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3656 Old Stilesboro Rd NW	Kennesaw	30152	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 594-8720	801	61	13.1	23.7%	417 (52.1%)	155 (19.4%)	139 (17.4%)	36 (4.5%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	51 (6.4%)	73.1	300^th of 1248 public elementary schools	76.0%		72.8	304^th of 1242 public elementary schools	75.5%	4	52.0	51.3	57.9	52.7	63.2	46.9	46.2	$11,405	$188	$11,217
Blackwell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3470 Canton Rd	Marietta	30066	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 494-7600	632	53	11.8	39.4%	264 (41.8%)	115 (18.2%)	156 (24.7%)	42 (6.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.2%)	54.9	506^th of 1248 public elementary schools	59.5%		49.9	550^th of 1242 public elementary schools	55.7%	44	35.6	41.5	56.6	34.7	52.8	42.4	35.4	$11,176	$213	$10,963

Frequently Asked Questions about Big Shanty Elementary School

How many students attend Big Shanty Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 539 students attended Big Shanty Elementary School.

What district is Big Shanty Elementary School in?

Cobb County

What is the racial makeup of Big Shanty Elementary School?

Students at Big Shanty Elementary School are 33% White, 32% African American, 23% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 4% Asian.

Is Big Shanty Elementary School a good school?

Big Shanty Elementary School ranks 369^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Big Shanty Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Big Shanty Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : North Cobb High School

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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.