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 other, 10 high, 10 middle, 7 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 35,636 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Jefferson County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $13,148 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 28.2% local, 54.2% state, and 17.6% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $59,357 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 34/100, ranked #121 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 13 of 56 schools offering Advanced Placement (98 AP courses district-wide), a 456.7:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, 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.
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 other, 7 elementary. Total enrollment is 35,951 students.
How much does Jefferson County spend per student?
Jefferson County spends $13,148 per student. The district has an equity score of 34/100, ranking #121 in Alabama.
What is the average teacher salary in Jefferson County?
The average teacher salary in Jefferson County is $59,357 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Jefferson County?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Jefferson County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
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 34/100, ranking #121 out of 146 districts in Alabama. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.