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Birmingham, Alabama - 56 schools
An equity score of 32/100 ranks Jefferson County #118 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $11,497 per pupil, Jefferson County ranks #102 of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
35,951
Total Enrollment
56
Schools
$11,497
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types
District-Level NCES Analysis
Jefferson County operates 56 public schools serving 35,951 students, placing it among the larger districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 29 combined, 10 high, 10 middle, 7 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a sizeable portfolio 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 Jefferson County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,497 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alabama compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 28.2% local, 54.2% state, and 17.6% 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 32/100, ranked #118 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 13 of 56 schools offering Advanced Placement (98 AP courses district-wide), a 456.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 25.0% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.0% African American, 32.6% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Brookville Elementary School, with a diversity index of 67.9/100.
Its largest campus is Claychalkville High School, enrolling 1,377 students (4% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is West Jefferson Elementary School, at 111 students, a 12x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
Jefferson County school enrollment varies 12× across entities
Jefferson County school enrollment ranges from 111 students (lowest) to 1,377 students (highest), a spread of 1,266 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Jefferson County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.6% 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.
Jefferson County student-counselor ratio is 457:1 — 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.
Jefferson County chronic absenteeism rate is 25.0% — 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 Jefferson County is typically wider than the Jefferson County-aggregate figure suggests.
Jefferson County has 56 schools, including 10 high, 10 middle, 29 combined, 7 elementary. Total enrollment is 35,951 students.
How much does Jefferson County spend per student?
Jefferson County spends $11,497 per student. The district has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #118 in Alabama.
What is the demographic composition of Jefferson County?
Jefferson County students are 48.0% African American, 32.6% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 56 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Jefferson County?
Jefferson County has an equity score of 32/100, ranking #118 out of 146 districts in Alabama.