Decatur City

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.

Decatur, Alabama - 18 schools

An equity score of 59/100 ranks Decatur City #45 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,764 per pupil, Decatur City ranks #30 of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

8,745
Total Enrollment
18
Schools
$13,764
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Decatur City operates 18 public schools serving 8,745 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 combined, 3 high, 2 middle, 2 elementary schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Morgan County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,764 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alabama compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 39.5% local, 47.0% state, and 13.5% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 59/100, ranked #45 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51, notably more even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 18 schools offering Advanced Placement (31 AP courses district-wide), a 361.1:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 19.8% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 34.7% Hispanic or Latino, 29.1% African American, 28.3% White across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Chestnut Grove Elementary School, with a diversity index of 73.0/100.

Its largest campus is Austin High School, enrolling 999 students (12% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Decatur High Developmental, at 37 students, a 27x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Decatur City school enrollment varies 27× across entities

Decatur City school enrollment ranges from 37 students (lowest) to 999 students (highest), a spread of 962 students. That spread is wider than typical and predicts noticeable gaps in service quality between the highest and lowest areas. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Decatur City reports 67.7% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. 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.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Decatur City student-counselor ratio is 361:1 — 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.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Decatur City chronic absenteeism rate is 19.8% — 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 Decatur City is typically wider than the Decatur City-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

13.5%
Federal
47.0%
State
39.5%
Local

Funding Equity

59
Equity Score
45 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 18 schools in Decatur City.

White 28.3%
Hispanic or Latino 34.7%
African American 29.1%
Asian 1.2%
Multiracial 6.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 65.6/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Decatur City's schools, above the Alabama average of 42.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Chestnut Grove Elementary School 73.0
  2. 2 Austin Middle School 71.7
  3. 3 Decatur Middle School 69.5
  4. 4 Austin Junior High School 69.5
  5. 5 Walter Jackson Elementary School 69.5

Programs & Resources

2 / 18
Schools with AP
31 AP courses total
361.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
19.8%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Decatur City

School Enrollment
Austin High School
999
Decatur High School
915
Decatur Middle School
818
Austin Middle School
727
Austin Junior High School
664
Oak Park Elementary School
481
Bankscaddell Elementary School
477
Austinville Elementary School
463
Chestnut Grove Elementary School
436
Frances Nungester Elementary School
428
West Decatur Elementary School
407
Woodmeade Elementary School
361
Julian Harris Elementary School
349
Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School
297
Eastwood Elementary School
272
Walter Jackson Elementary School
251
Benjamin Davis Elementary School
251
Decatur High Developmental
37

How Decatur City Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alabama districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Dekalb County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Etowah County Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Autauga County Similar size Lower spending Less locally funded
Dothan City Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Lee County Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix

Comparisons are relative to Decatur City's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Alabama

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Mobile County
51,979 students · 92 schools · $12,163/pupil
Compare vs Decatur City →
Jefferson County
35,951 students · 57 schools · $11,497/pupil
Compare vs Decatur City →
Baldwin County
31,517 students · 45 schools · $11,999/pupil
Compare vs Decatur City →
Montgomery County
26,821 students · 52 schools · $11,430/pupil
Compare vs Decatur City →
Huntsville City
23,776 students · 45 schools · $12,033/pupil
Compare vs Decatur City →

Compare Decatur City

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Mobile County →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Decatur City?

Decatur City has 18 schools, including 3 high, 2 middle, 11 combined, 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 8,745 students.

How much does Decatur City spend per student?

Decatur City spends $13,764 per student. The district has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #45 in Alabama.

What is the demographic composition of Decatur City?

Decatur City students are 34.7% Hispanic or Latino, 29.1% African American, 28.3% White, 1.2% Asian, averaged across 18 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Decatur City?

Decatur City has an equity score of 59/100, ranking #45 out of 146 districts in Alabama.