Gainesville Exploration Academy

gesweb.gcssk12.net/

536 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Gainesville Exploration Academy (GEA) is a unique public elementary school within the Gainesville City School System, distinguished by its focus on inquiry-based learning and hands-on discovery. The school is built on the philosophy that students learn best when they are actively engaged in exploring the world around them, often incorporating project-based learning and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) initiatives into the core curriculum. By fostering a culture of curiosity, the academy aims to develop critical thinkers who are equipped to solve real-world problems.

Located on McEver Road, the school serves a diverse student body and emphasizes a collaborative community environment. GEA is known for its commitment to both academic excellence and the social-emotional development of its students, often utilizing flexible classroom structures and immersive learning experiences to keep children motivated. As part of the broader Gainesville City school district, the academy maintains rigorous standards while providing a specialized educational experience designed to spark a lifelong love of learning in every student.

536

Total Students

39.2

Full-Time Teachers

13.7

Student/Teacher Ratio

84.0%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Gainesville Exploration Academy
Demographic	Student Count
White	38
Hispanic	373
Black	100
Asian	6
Two or More	16
American Indian	3

Hispanic
373 (69.6%)
Black
100 (18.7%)
White
38 (7.1%)
Two or More
16 (3.0%)
Asian
6 (1.1%)
American Indian
3 (0.6%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Gainesville City
Phone:	(770)287-1223
Website:	http://gesweb.gcssk12.net/
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	536
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	39.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	13.7
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Provision 2
Qualified Free Lunch:	359
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	91

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 35

Kindergarten 80

Grade 1 78

Grade 2 90

Grade 3 81

Grade 4 73

Grade 5 99