Lead Academy

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.

Montgomery, Alabama - 2 schools

An equity score of 44/100 ranks Lead Academy #96 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $11,420 per pupil, Lead Academy ranks #110 of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

711
Total Enrollment
2
Schools
$11,420
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Lead Academy operates 2 public schools serving 711 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 elementary schools, a small enough portfolio that most families will interact with nearly every campus in the district at some point. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Montgomery County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,420 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 1.9% local, 64.7% state, and 33.4% 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 44/100, ranked #96 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.

a 376:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 92.3% African American, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% White across the district's schools.

Its largest campus is Lead Academy Building B, enrolling 394 students (52% of the district's total enrollment).

Lead Academy Building B accounts for 52.4% of all Lead Academy student enrollment

That is an overwhelming concentration, leaving the rest of Lead Academy a distant remainder — means Lead Academy-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: elementary. 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

Lead Academy has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 65.5% 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). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. 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

Lead Academy student-counselor ratio is 376:1 — 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

Lead Academy chronic absenteeism rate is 18.6% — 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 Lead Academy is typically wider than the Lead Academy-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

33.4%
Federal
64.7%
State
1.9%
Local

Funding Equity

44
Equity Score
96 / 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 2 schools in Lead Academy.

White 1.4%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%
African American 92.3%
Multiracial 1.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

376:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.6%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Lead Academy

School Enrollment
Lead Academy Building B
Charter
394
Lead Academy Building a
Charter
358

How Lead Academy Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alabama districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Barbour County Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Elba City Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
University Charter School Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Maef Public Charter Schools Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
I3 Academy Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

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

Compare Lead Academy

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 Lead Academy?

Lead Academy has 2 schools, including 2 elementary. Total enrollment is 711 students.

How much does Lead Academy spend per student?

Lead Academy spends $11,420 per student. The district has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #96 in Alabama.

What is the demographic composition of Lead Academy?

Lead Academy students are 92.3% African American, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 1.4% White, 0.4% Asian, averaged across 2 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Lead Academy?

Lead Academy has an equity score of 44/100, ranking #96 out of 146 districts in Alabama.