Gadsden City
Public school district · Etowah County · Alabama · NCES district ID 0101620
Gadsden City spent $13,509 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 74% of the other Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $12,720). Its 12 schools enrolled 4,940 students in 2024-25; 52.3% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $14,326 per student, up 6.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 84% (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 Gadsden City in enrollment (4,208 to 5,200 students) and Gadsden City itself.
Where the money came from
$75,151,000 in revenue: 52.3% state, 19.7% local and 28.0% federal. Total spending including $4,409,000 of capital outlay was $73,465,000, or $14,874 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$39,273,000 52%
- Local$14,801,000 20%
- Federal$21,077,000 28%
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 held steady from 2022-23 to 2024-25
4,939 students in 2022-23, 4,872 students in 2023-24, 4,940 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 | 4,939 | 282.3 | 17.5 |
| 2023-24 | 4,872 | 298.3 | 16.3 |
| 2024-25 | 4,940 | 276.7 | 17.9 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$19,741,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,997 per student
Gadsden City booked $19,741,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 282 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 $69,922 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 77 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 | $15,904,000 | 80.6% |
| Special education | $2,318,000 | 11.7% |
| Vocational | $1,251,000 | 6.3% |
| Other programs | $268,000 | 1.4% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,373 in 2018-19, $3,635 in 2019-20, $3,823 in 2020-21, $3,944 in 2021-22, $3,997 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 Gadsden City scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 21% 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 | 39% | 47.3% | 2,381 |
| Math | 21% | 27.2% | 2,409 |
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
84% of the 319 students in Gadsden 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 | 84% | 90% |
| Students in the class | 319 | 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.
8 elementary schools, 2,550 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Elementary School | 433 | 18.6 | 90.8% | Targeted program |
| W E Striplin Elementary School | 400 | 19.7 | 84.8% | Targeted program |
| Floyd Elementary School | 384 | 23.9 | 82.0% | Targeted program |
| Eura Brown Elementary School | 340 | 16.0 | 32.6% | Not Title I |
| Thompson Elementary School | 288 | 20.2 | 81.3% | Targeted program |
| Mitchell Elementary School | 262 | 14.8 | 59.2% | Not Title I |
| Donehoo Elementary School | 225 | 18.3 | 73.3% | Targeted program |
| Walnut Park Elementary School | 218 | 16.5 | 78.9% | Targeted program |
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.
3 middle schools, 1,029 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden Middle School | 438 | 18.6 | 63.9% | Not Title I |
| Sansom Middle School | 339 | 16.6 | 77.6% | Targeted program |
| Litchfield Middle School | 252 | 16.3 | 80.2% | Targeted program |
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.
1 high school, 1,361 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden City High School | 1,361 | 17.2 | 68.9% | 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 Gadsden City
- Website: gcs.k12.al.us
- Phone: (256) 543-3512
- Office: 1026 Chestnut St, Gadsden, AL 35901
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 Gadsden City
- Alabama districts by spending per studentGadsden City ranks 34 of 130 Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($13,509).#34 of 130
- Every school district in AlabamaGadsden City is the number 42 by size of 149 Alabama districts, with 4,939 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#42 of 149
- Opelika City SchoolsThe next larger Alabama district: 5,048 students in fall 2022, $12,232 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$12,232
- Athens City SchoolsThe next smaller Alabama district: 4,840 students in fall 2022, $11,561 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$11,561
- Compare Gadsden City with Opelika City SchoolsEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Gadsden City High School, its largest high school1,361 students in 2024-25, 17.2 per teacher.1,361
- Teacher salary spending across AlabamaGadsden City spent $69,922 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $66,861); spending, not a salary.$69,922
- 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 Gadsden City
How many schools and students are in Gadsden City?
12 schools were open in 2024-25 (8 elementary, 3 middle, 1 high), enrolling 4,940 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Gadsden City spend per student?
$13,509 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 $14,326 per student, up 6.0% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Gadsden City's money come from?
$75,151,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 52.3% state, 19.7% local and 28.0% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Gadsden City live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,773 of the 5,389 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 32.9%, 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 Gadsden City spend on teacher salaries?
$19,741,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,997 per student. Divided by the 282 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $69,922 per teacher, more than 77 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 Gadsden City do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Gadsden City scored proficient or above: 39% in reading and 21% 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 Gadsden City?
84% of the 319 students in Gadsden 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 Gadsden City's NCES district ID?
0101620. 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