Opelika 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, the data changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.

Opelika, Alabama - 8 schools

An equity score of 39/100 ranks Opelika City #107 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,232 per pupil, Opelika City ranks #105 of 147 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

5,048
Total Enrollment
8
Schools
$12,232
Per-Pupil Spending
Elementary, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Opelika City operates 8 public schools serving 5,048 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 6 elementary, 1 high, 1 middle 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 Lee County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,232 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the lower half of 147 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alabama compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 37.5% local, 46.5% state, and 16.1% 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 39/100, ranked #107 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 1 of 8 schools offering Advanced Placement (11 AP courses district-wide), a 410.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 20.5% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 48.8% African American, 27.1% White, 19.5% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Southview Primary School, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.

Its largest campus is Opelika High School, enrolling 1,590 students (32% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is West Forest Intermediate School, at 393 students, a 4x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Opelika High School accounts for 31.5% of all Opelika City student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Opelika City-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the largest entity. Grade band: high. The share measures enrollment concentration only; it does not establish how the district allocates programs, capital, or staff. Enrollment-weighted aggregates give this entity more weight than any smaller peer, while an unweighted entity average treats every record equally.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Opelika City school enrollment varies 4.0× across entities

Opelika City school enrollment ranges from 393 students (lowest) to 1,590 students (highest), a spread of 1,197 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

Opelika City reports 66.3% free-lunch eligibility

The reported share sits between 62.5% and 75%, above a simple majority but below the highest descriptive band used here. Title I operates under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015), but its statutory allocation uses additional LEA-level counts and rules not represented by this average. This percentage is an economic-need context measure; it does not establish a Title I award, show dollars received, or describe how funds are distributed among campuses.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data

Opelika City student-counselor ratio is 410:1 — 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

Opelika City chronic absenteeism rate is 20.5% — 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 Opelika City is typically wider than the Opelika City-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

16.1%
Federal
46.5%
State
37.5%
Local

Funding Equity

39
Equity Score
107 / 146
State Rank
51
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 8 schools in Opelika City.

White 27.1%
Hispanic or Latino 19.5%
African American 48.8%
Asian 0.8%
Multiracial 3.1%
Other 0.7%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 61.8/100

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

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Southview Primary School 66.4
  2. 2 Jeter Primary School 63.5
  3. 3 Opelika Middle School 63.1
  4. 4 Northside School 62.1
  5. 5 Opelika High School 60.7

Programs & Resources

1 / 8
Schools with AP
11 AP courses total
410.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
20.5%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Opelika City

School Enrollment
Opelika High School
1,590
Opelika Middle School
812
Southview Primary School
480
Northside School
464
Jeter Primary School
435
Carver Primary School
414
Morris Avenue Intermediate School
397
West Forest Intermediate School
393

How Opelika City Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alabama districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Trussville City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Gadsden City Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Jackson County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Athens City Similar size Similar spending More locally funded
Lawrence County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Opelika 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 · $13,245/pupil
Compare vs Opelika City →
Jefferson County
35,951 students · 57 schools · $12,194/pupil
Compare vs Opelika City →
Baldwin County
31,517 students · 45 schools · $13,089/pupil
Compare vs Opelika City →
Montgomery County
26,821 students · 52 schools · $12,977/pupil
Compare vs Opelika City →
Huntsville City
23,776 students · 45 schools · $13,146/pupil
Compare vs Opelika City →

Nationwide districts with similar enrollment or spending

Out-of-state peers matched by enrollment and by per-pupil expenditure, not the same-state lists above.

Compare Opelika 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 Opelika City?

Opelika City has 8 schools, including 1 high, 1 middle, 6 elementary. Total enrollment is 5,048 students.

How much does Opelika City spend per student?

Opelika City spends $12,232 per student. The district has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #107 in Alabama.

What is the demographic composition of Opelika City?

Opelika City students are 48.8% African American, 27.1% White, 19.5% Hispanic or Latino, 0.8% Asian, averaged across 8 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Opelika City?

Opelika City has an equity score of 39/100, ranking #107 out of 146 districts in Alabama.