Dale County operates 7 public schools serving 3,270 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 other, 1 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 3,376 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Dale County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,895 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 21.9% local, 64.6% state, and 13.5% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $61,032 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 47/100, ranked #79 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
a 418.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 20.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.1% White, 20.7% African American, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Ariton School accounts for 26.3% of all Dale County student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Dale County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: other. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Dale County school enrollment varies 3.0× across entities
Dale County school enrollment ranges from 293 students (lowest) to 887 students (highest), a spread of 594 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous campus portfolio — most districts have a wider mix of school sizes. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Dale County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 61.7% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Dale County student-counselor ratio is 419:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Dale County chronic absenteeism rate is 20.6% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Dale County is typically wider than the Dale County-aggregate figure suggests.
Dale County has 7 schools, including 5 other, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,270 students.
How much does Dale County spend per student?
Dale County spends $12,895 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #79 in Alabama.
What is the average teacher salary in Dale County?
The average teacher salary in Dale County is $61,032 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Dale County?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Dale County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Dale County?
Dale County students are 67.1% White, 20.7% African American, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Asian, averaged across 7 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Dale County?
Dale County has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #79 out of 146 districts in Alabama. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.