Decatur City
Public school district · Morgan County · Alabama · NCES district ID 0101170
Decatur City spent $14,832 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 88% of the other Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,720). Its 18 schools enrolled 8,633 students in 2024-25; 47.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,311 per student, up 3.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (Alabama: 90%).
NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 · Census Bureau school finances 2023-24 · NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 · method
Spending per student among Alabama districts of similar size
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Decatur City in enrollment (7,858 to 9,492 students) and Decatur City itself.
Where the money came from
$152,946,000 in revenue: 47.3% state, 39.3% local and 13.4% federal. Total spending including $10,506,000 of capital outlay was $148,054,000, or $16,930 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$72,389,000 47%
- Local$60,067,000 39%
- Federal$20,490,000 13%
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 130 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).
Enrollment fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
8,745 students in 2022-23, 8,665 students in 2023-24, 8,633 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.
Teachers and students per teacher
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 8,745 | 538.0 | 16.3 |
| 2023-24 | 8,665 | 555.2 | 15.6 |
| 2024-25 | 8,633 | 568.0 | 15.2 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$41,396,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $4,734 per student
Decatur City booked $41,396,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 538 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $76,944 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 92 in 100 Alabama districts with a figure (state median $66,861, 140 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Alabama teacher salary at $55,834 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
| Program | Teacher salaries | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Regular programs | $31,973,000 | 77.2% |
| Special education | $4,913,000 | 11.9% |
| Vocational | $2,407,000 | 5.8% |
| Other programs | $2,103,000 | 5.1% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,922 in 2018-19, $4,100 in 2019-20, $4,275 in 2020-21, $4,524 in 2021-22, $4,734 in 2022-23.
Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).
State test results, 2021-22
In 2021-22, the students tested in Decatur City scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 27% in math, against 47.3% in reading and 27.2% in math across Alabama. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within Alabama, not across states.
| Subject | This district | Alabama | Students tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and language arts | 41% | 47.3% | 4,407 |
| Math | 27% | 27.2% | 4,398 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.
Graduation rate, class of 2023
93% of the 611 students in Decatur City's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90% across Alabama. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.
| This district | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year graduation rate | 93% | 90% |
| Students in the class | 611 | 52,928 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.
12 elementary schools, 4,473 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Park Elementary School | 481 | 13.5 | 70.9% | Targeted program |
| BanksCaddell Elementary School | 477 | 16.7 | 76.5% | Targeted program |
| Austinville Elementary School | 463 | 16.3 | 67.6% | Targeted program |
| Chestnut Grove Elementary School | 436 | 13.4 | 58.3% | Not Title I |
| Frances Nungester Elementary School | 428 | 16.2 | 75.5% | Targeted program |
| West Decatur Elementary School | 407 | 16.6 | 81.1% | Targeted program |
| Woodmeade Elementary School | 361 | 15.0 | 67.6% | Targeted program |
| Julian Harris Elementary School | 349 | 15.5 | 51.9% | Not Title I |
| Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School | 297 | 17.2 | 45.8% | Not Title I |
| Eastwood Elementary School | 272 | 15.3 | 37.1% | Not Title I |
| Walter Jackson Elementary School | 251 | 14.9 | 59.8% | Not Title I |
| Benjamin Davis Elementary School | 251 | 13.4 | 55.4% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
2 middle schools, 1,545 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Middle School | 818 | 16.0 | 63.6% | Not Title I |
| Austin Middle School | 727 | 14.7 | 64.8% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
4 high schools, 2,615 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin High School | 999 | 16.4 | 56.6% | Not Title I |
| Decatur High School | 915 | 13.9 | 63.3% | Not Title I |
| Austin Junior High School | 664 | 14.0 | 64.6% | Not Title I |
| Decatur High Developmental | 37 | not reported | 75.7% | Not Title I |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.
Contact Decatur City
- Website: dcs.edu
- Phone: (256) 552-3000
- Office: 212 4th Ave SE, Decatur, AL 35601
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.
What to look at next about Decatur City
- Alabama districts by spending per studentDecatur City ranks 17 of 130 Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($14,832).#17 of 130
- Every school district in AlabamaDecatur City is the number 20 by size of 149 Alabama districts, with 8,745 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#20 of 149
- Autauga CountyThe next larger Alabama district: 9,202 students in fall 2022, $11,214 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,214
- DeKalb County SchoolsThe next smaller Alabama district: 8,717 students in fall 2022, $12,528 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,528
- Compare Decatur City with Autauga CountyEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Austin High School, its largest high school999 students in 2024-25, 16.4 per teacher.999
- Teacher salary spending across AlabamaDecatur City spent $76,944 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $66,861); spending, not a salary.$76,944
- Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).
Questions about Decatur City
How many schools and students are in Decatur City?
18 schools were open in 2024-25 (12 elementary, 2 middle, 4 high), enrolling 8,633 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Decatur City spend per student?
$14,832 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the Alabama median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $12,720 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $15,311 per student, up 3.2% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Decatur City's money come from?
$152,946,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 47.3% state, 39.3% local and 13.4% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Decatur City live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,887 of the 9,958 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 18.9%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.How much does Decatur City spend on teacher salaries?
$41,396,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $4,734 per student. Divided by the 538 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $76,944 per teacher, more than 92 in 100 Alabama districts (state median $66,861). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average Alabama teacher salary at $55,834 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).How do students in Decatur City do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Decatur City scored proficient or above: 41% in reading and 27% in math, against 47.3% in reading and 27.2% in math across Alabama. Alabama's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.What is the graduation rate in Decatur City?
93% of the 611 students in Decatur City's class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 90% across Alabama. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.What is Decatur City's NCES district ID?
0101170. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.
Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.
Sources
Every federal file behind this record
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
- Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
- EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
- EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
- NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
- NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25