Florence 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, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Florence, Alabama - 8 schools

An equity score of 54/100 ranks Florence City #62 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $13,248 per pupil, Florence City ranks #36 of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

4,645
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$13,248
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Florence City operates 8 public schools serving 4,645 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 4 combined, 2 high, 1 middle, 1 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 Lauderdale County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,248 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 45.1% local, 41.9% state, and 12.9% 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 54/100, ranked #62 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (31 AP courses district-wide), a 361.8:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 44.8% White, 27.6% African American, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hibbett School, with a diversity index of 71.3/100.

Its largest campus is Florence High School, enrolling 1,101 students (24% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Kilby Laboratory School, at 187 students, a 6x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Florence High School accounts for 23.7% of all Florence City student enrollment

That concentration means Florence City-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. 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.

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

Florence City school enrollment varies 5.9× across entities

Florence City school enrollment ranges from 187 students (lowest) to 1,101 students (highest), a spread of 914 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.

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

Florence City has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 51.0% 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.

Source: ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system ESSA Title I Part A; ED EDFacts file system

Florence City student-counselor ratio is 362:1 — 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

Florence City chronic absenteeism rate is 21.6% — 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 Florence City is typically wider than the Florence 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?

12.9%
Federal
41.9%
State
45.1%
Local

Funding Equity

54
Equity Score
62 / 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 8 schools in Florence City.

White 44.8%
Hispanic or Latino 14.3%
African American 27.6%
Asian 1.3%
Multiracial 11.9%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 63.6/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Hibbett School 71.3
  2. 2 Florence Middle School 70.2
  3. 3 Weeden Elementary School 70.1
  4. 4 Florence Freshman Center 69.0
  5. 5 Florence High School 68.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 8
Schools with AP
31 AP courses total
361.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Florence City

School Enrollment
Florence High School
1,101
Forest Hills School
906
Florence Middle School
663
Hibbett School
489
Weeden Elementary School
477
Harlan Elementary School
426
Florence Freshman Center
325
Kilby Laboratory School
187

How Florence City Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alabama districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Lawrence County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Athens City Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Mountain Brook City Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Homewood City Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Gadsden City Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Florence 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 Florence City →
Jefferson County
35,951 students · 57 schools · $11,497/pupil
Compare vs Florence City →
Baldwin County
31,517 students · 45 schools · $11,999/pupil
Compare vs Florence City →
Montgomery County
26,821 students · 52 schools · $11,430/pupil
Compare vs Florence City →
Huntsville City
23,776 students · 45 schools · $12,033/pupil
Compare vs Florence City →

Compare Florence 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 Florence City?

Florence City has 8 schools, including 2 high, 4 combined, 1 middle, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 4,645 students.

How much does Florence City spend per student?

Florence City spends $13,248 per student. The district has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #62 in Alabama.

What is the demographic composition of Florence City?

Florence City students are 44.8% White, 27.6% African American, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.3% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Florence City?

Florence City has an equity score of 54/100, ranking #62 out of 146 districts in Alabama.