Russell Elementary School

Q: Is Russell Elementary School a good school?

Russell Elementary School ranks 826 th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Russell Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Smyrna, Georgia, serving grades PK-5 with a total enrollment of 604 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.

Despite the school's relatively high per-student spending of around $11,781, Russell Elementary has consistently underperformed compared to the Cobb County and Georgia state averages on the Milestones Assessments. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in 3rd grade ELA was 25.5% at Russell, compared to 48.2% in Cobb County and 38.4% statewide. This underperformance has led to Russell Elementary being ranked in the bottom half of Georgia elementary schools for the past several years, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 70.86% in the 2022-2023 school year, may be a contributing factor to its academic struggles.

When comparing Russell Elementary to nearby schools in the Cobb County district, the differences become even more stark. King Springs Elementary School, which is only 2.62 miles away, consistently outperforms Russell on the Milestones Assessments, with significantly higher proficiency rates in all subject areas. This suggests that the challenges facing Russell Elementary may be unique to the school and not necessarily reflective of the broader district or state performance.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

3920 S Hurt Rd SW
Smyrna, GA 30082

(770) 437-5937

District: Cobb County

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,781

Students who attend Russell Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Floyd Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.0

Number of students: 582

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.1%

African American:

34.9%

White:

9.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 78.9%

See top rated Georgia elementary schools

Compare Russell Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Russell Elementary School ranks worse than 66.2% of elementary schools in Georgia. It also ranks 51^st among 64 ranked elementary schools in the Cobb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 31.24. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (49.1%), African American (34.9%), White (9.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 78.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Russell Elementary School is 11, which is the 15^th best among 64 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District. (See more...)

Compare Russell Elementary School employs 52.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Russell Elementary School is $11,781, which is the 19^th highest among 64 elementary schools in the Cobb County School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Russell 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 Russell Elementary School.

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Rank History for Russell Elementary School

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Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	44.67	705^th	1101	36.0%
2007	44.55	714^th	1125	36.5%
2008	53.78	600^th	1134	47.1%
2009	69.55	341^st	1133	69.9%
2010	56.27	600^th	1183	49.3%
2011	45.82	775^th	1212	36.1%
2012	51.52	706^th	1201	41.2%
2013	38.19	887^th	1225	27.6%
2014	45.16	815^th	1231	33.8%
2015	32.78	834^th	1240	32.7%
2016	24.80	916^th	1233	25.7%
2017	28.54	864^th	1205	28.3%
2018	31.19	833^rd	1209	31.1%
2019	30.70	851^st	1234	31.0%
2021	27.77	845^th	1214	30.4%
2022	29.07	861^st	1244	30.8%
2023	27.32	879^th	1242	29.2%
2024	31.24	826^th	1248	33.8%

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: 4)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent on FaceBook
Sunday, February 15, 2015

My daughter is in her 2nd year here at Russell Elementary and is doing very, very well. She loves it, too! She is in the gifted program and has thrived. We have been very impressed with EVERY SINGLE teacher and staff member and absolutely love the principal, Mr. Manson. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Russell 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	738	738
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	783	783
1992	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	772	772
1993	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a	798	798
1994	671	154	27	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	864
1995	667	264	23	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	975
1996	667	264	23	20	1	n/a	n/a	0	975
1997	629	321	32	36	2	n/a	n/a	0	1020
1998	385	150	26	28	2	n/a	n/a	0	591
1999	378	187	23	35	3	n/a	n/a	0	626
2000	344	221	31	55	2	n/a	n/a	0	653
2001	309	251	35	66	0	n/a	n/a	0	661
2002	240	295	21	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	644
2003	240	295	21	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	644
2004	205	303	17	112	2	n/a	n/a	0	639
2005	162	310	23	123	0	n/a	n/a	22	640
2006	157	298	28	153	0	n/a	n/a	24	660
2007	122	308	20	172	1	n/a	n/a	32	655
2008	121	287	16	196	2	n/a	n/a	44	666
2009	127	322	26	208	4	n/a	n/a	10	697
2010	117	347	31	197	4	1	0	0	697
2011	118	327	24	201	1	0	28	0	699
2012	124	309	19	200	1	0	27	0	680
2013	129	321	14	231	1	0	33	0	729
2014	117	317	12	224	3	1	32	0	706
2015	110	301	10	216	2	0	37	0	676
2016	109	273	6	253	1	0	34	0	676
2017	99	271	13	258	1	0	27	0	669
2018	107	265	12	243	0	0	31	0	658
2019	115	255	7	232	1	0	30	0	640
2020	99	238	11	230	2	0	28	0	608
2021	88	203	12	237	2	0	27	0	569
2022	64	195	10	254	2	0	30	0	555
2023	65	222	9	278	3	0	27	0	604
2024	54	203	8	286	2	0	29	0	582

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 Russell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	738	38.0	19.4	4.9
1991	783	43.0	18.2	8.6
1992	772	44.0	17.5	11
1993	798	41.0	19.5	13.8
1994	864	48.3	17.9	19.1
1995	975	51.5	18.9	19.4
1996	975	51.5	18.9	19.4
1997	1020	54.5	18.7	31.6
1998	591	35.3	16.7	27.4
1999	626	38.3	16.3	26.5
2000	653	40.5	16.1	29.7
2001	661	44.1	15.0	29.3
2002	644	46.0	14.0	42.9
2003	644	46.0	14.0	42.9
2004	639	43.5	14.7	52.1
2005	640	48.0	13.3	54
2006	660	49.0	13.5	61.2
2007	655	55.0	11.9	70.9
2008	666	58.5	11.4	69.5
2009	697	63.5	11.0	67.8
2010	697	63.0	11.0	68.4
2011	699	56.5	12.3	71.1
2012	680	58.4	11.6	70.1
2013	729	59.7	12.2	71.6
2014	706	57.5	12.2	77.1
2015	676	55.0	12.2	76
2016	676	56.0	12.0	75.7
2017	669	55.0	12.1	76.1
2018	658	53.0	12.4	73.4
2019	640	53.0	12.0	70.2
2020	608	52.5	11.5	70.1
2021	569	50.0	11.3	68.9
2022	555	48.4	11.4	n/a
2023	604	49.6	12.1	70.9
2024	582	52.6	11.0	78.9

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 Russell Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	738	38.0	19.4	4.9
1991	783	43.0	18.2	8.6
1992	772	44.0	17.5	11
1993	798	41.0	19.5	13.8
1994	864	48.3	17.9	19.1
1995	975	51.5	18.9	19.4
1996	975	51.5	18.9	19.4
1997	1020	54.5	18.7	31.6
1998	591	35.3	16.7	27.4
1999	626	38.3	16.3	26.5
2000	653	40.5	16.1	29.7
2001	661	44.1	15.0	29.3
2002	644	46.0	14.0	42.9
2003	644	46.0	14.0	42.9
2004	639	43.5	14.7	52.1
2005	640	48.0	13.3	54
2006	660	49.0	13.5	61.2
2007	655	55.0	11.9	70.9
2008	666	58.5	11.4	69.5
2009	697	63.5	11.0	67.8
2010	697	63.0	11.0	68.4
2011	699	56.5	12.3	71.1
2012	680	58.4	11.6	70.1
2013	729	59.7	12.2	71.6
2014	706	57.5	12.2	77.1
2015	676	55.0	12.2	76
2016	676	56.0	12.0	75.7
2017	669	55.0	12.1	76.1
2018	658	53.0	12.4	73.4
2019	640	53.0	12.0	70.2
2020	608	52.5	11.5	70.1
2021	569	50.0	11.3	68.9
2022	555	48.4	11.4	n/a
2023	604	49.6	12.1	70.9
2024	582	52.6	11.0	78.9

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 Russell Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$988 (8.8%)	$10,194 (91.2%)	$11,182
2018	$694 (6.4%)	$10,155 (93.6%)	$10,850
2019	$978 (8.3%)	$10,804 (91.7%)	$11,781

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Russell 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 851^st of 1234 Elementary schools	Ranks 879^th of 1242 Elementary schools	1.8%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Russell Elementary School)	27.7	21.2	6.5%
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 (Russell Elementary School)	43	23.5	19.5%
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 (Russell Elementary School)	34.4	31.6	2.8%
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 (Russell Elementary School)	42.7	34.2	8.5%
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 (Russell Elementary School)	39.8	29.5	10.3%
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 (Russell Elementary School)	25.7	20	5.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cobb County)	47.2	44.2	3%
5th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	41	37.4	3.6%
5th Grade Science (Russell Elementary School)	25.7	21	4.7%
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	640	604	5.6%
African American	255	222	12.9%
American Indian	1	3	200%
Asian	7	9	28.6%
Hispanic	232	278	19.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	115	65	43.5%
Two or More Races	30	27	10%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	70.2%	70.9%	0.7%

Schools Near Russell 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
Russell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3920 S Hurt Rd SW	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 437-5937	582	53	11.0	78.9%	54 (9.3%)	203 (34.9%)	286 (49.1%)	8 (1.4%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.0%)	31.2	826^th of 1248 public elementary schools	33.8%		27.3	879^th of 1242 public elementary schools	29.2%	53	25.5	20.0	42.3	29.4	26.7	29.5	41.0	$11,781	$978	$10,804
Birney Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	775 Smyrna Powder Springs Rd	Marietta	30060	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6824	686	64	10.7	88.6%	26 (3.8%)	262 (38.2%)	348 (50.7%)	18 (2.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (4.2%)	31.6	818^th of 1248 public elementary schools	34.5%		24.1	933^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	24.9%	115	22.9	26.7	43.4	28.3	38.3	30.3	24.2	$12,060	$699	$11,361
Norton Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3041 Gray Rd SE	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-5833	654	61	10.7	92.0%	37 (5.7%)	205 (31.3%)	369 (56.4%)	8 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.4%)	25.9	916^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.6%		34.5	774^th of 1242 public elementary schools	37.7%	142	26.8	22.9	31.5	35.7	37.5	18.9	17.1	$11,232	$713	$10,519
Sanders Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1550 Anderson Mill Rd	Austell	30106	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 819-2568	619	54	11.4	91.1%	35 (5.7%)	349 (56.4%)	204 (33.0%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	23 (3.7%)	33.8	790^th of 1248 public elementary schools	36.7%		24.7	923^rd of 1242 public elementary schools	25.7%	133	32.0	26.6	34.7	31.1	40.9	29.7	28.7	$11,597	$705	$10,891
Mableton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5220 Church St SW	Mableton	30126	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(770) 819-2513	910	79	11.5	89.3%	97 (10.7%)	286 (31.4%)	474 (52.1%)	4 (0.4%)	5 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (4.8%)	16.7	1072^nd of 1248 public elementary schools	14.1%		26.8	888^th of 1242 public elementary schools	28.5%	184	14.5	17.4	31.1	28.9	20.8	13.0	19.3	$10,205	$627	$9,579
Milford Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2390 Austell Rd SW	Marietta	30008	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6966	353	41	8.6	92.4%	14 (4.0%)	105 (29.7%)	223 (63.2%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.5%)	35.5	765^th of 1248 public elementary schools	38.7%		44.2	629^th of 1242 public elementary schools	49.4%	136	21.8	21.8	44.2	43.6	38.9	32.7	26.9	$14,587	$869	$13,718
King Springs Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1041 Reed Rd SE	Smyrna	30082	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	No	(678) 842-6944	1,103	83	13.2	28.8%	504 (45.7%)	338 (30.6%)	111 (10.1%)	52 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	97 (8.8%)	88	154^th of 1248 public elementary schools	87.7%		85.7	174^th of 1242 public elementary schools	86.0%	20	58.4	59.5	74.4	62.2	70.6	59.9	62.2	$9,184	$189	$8,996
LaBelle Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	230 Cresson Dr SW	Marietta	30060	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6955	356	40	8.8	97.5%	13 (3.7%)	69 (19.4%)	259 (72.8%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.8%)	22.1	978^th of 1248 public elementary schools	21.6%		27.8	876^th of 1242 public elementary schools	29.5%	102	18.3	21.2	33.3	25.0	11.8	33.3	23.3	$15,708	$911	$14,798
Hollydale Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2901 Bay Berry Dr SW	Marietta	30008	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 594-8143	546	60	9.0	88.5%	49 (9.0%)	161 (29.5%)	294 (53.8%)	15 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	27 (4.9%)	25.7	920^th of 1248 public elementary schools	26.3%		19	1021^st of 1242 public elementary schools	17.8%	101	24.3	28.0	38.9	18.3	40.0	22.1	20.0	$12,721	$673	$12,048
Belmont Hills Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	605 Glendale Pl SE	Smyrna	30080	Cobb County	Cobb County	No	No	No	Yes	(678) 842-6810	276	35	7.8	92.4%	11 (4.0%)	59 (21.4%)	198 (71.7%)	3 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.8%)	32.2	803^rd of 1248 public elementary schools	35.7%		30.9	820^th of 1242 public elementary schools	34.0%	17	20.9	15.9	34.0	44.2	29.5	38.3	31.9	$14,666	$628	$14,038

Frequently Asked Questions about Russell Elementary School

What district is Russell Elementary School in?

Cobb County

What is the racial makeup of Russell Elementary School?

Students at Russell Elementary School are 49% Hispanic, 35% African American, 9% White, 5% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Russell Elementary School attend?

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

Middle : Floyd Middle School

Is Russell Elementary School a good school?

Russell Elementary School ranks 826^th of 1248 Georgia elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Russell Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 582 students attended Russell Elementary 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.