An equity score of 44/100 ranks Dale County #90 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $12,213 per pupil, Dale County ranks #106 of 147 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
3,270
Total Enrollment
7
Schools
$12,213
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Dale County operates 7 public schools serving 3,270 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Dale County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,213 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 147 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alabama compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 21.9% local, 64.6% state, and 13.5% federal, a state-revenue-heavy mix that insulates the district somewhat from local property-tax volatility, though it ties funding to state budget cycles. The district's equity score is 44/100, ranked #90 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
a 418.9:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, 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. Its most demographically mixed campus is South Dale Middle School, with a diversity index of 60.9/100.
Its largest campus is Ariton School, enrolling 887 students (26% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Newton Elementary School, at 293 students, a 3x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Ariton School accounts for 26.3% of all Dale County student enrollment
That concentration means Dale County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: combined. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.
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.
The reported share clears the 50% majority mark. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.
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 combined, 1 high, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 3,270 students.
How much does Dale County spend per student?
Dale County spends $12,213 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #90 in Alabama.
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 44/100, ranking #90 out of 146 districts in Alabama.