Shelby County
Public school district · Shelby County · Alabama · NCES district ID 0103030
Shelby County spent $12,436 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, below the middle: 60% of the other Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 spent more (median $12,720). Its 29 schools enrolled 20,638 students in 2024-25; 54.7% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $13,422 per student, up 7.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 94% (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's largest districts
Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. Among the 10 districts shown, Shelby County ranks 6.
Where the money came from
$329,660,000 in revenue: 54.7% state, 38.2% local and 7.1% federal. Total spending including $35,078,000 of capital outlay was $307,213,000, or $14,506 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.
- State$180,385,000 55%
- Local$125,849,000 38%
- Federal$23,426,000 7%
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 fell from 2022-23 to 2024-25
21,179 students in 2022-23, 20,937 students in 2023-24, 20,638 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 | 21,179 | 1198.2 | 17.7 |
| 2023-24 | 20,937 | 1200.4 | 17.4 |
| 2024-25 | 20,638 | 1260.9 | 16.4 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.
$81,837,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $3,864 per student
Shelby County booked $81,837,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 1,209 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 $67,679 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 58 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 | $65,124,000 | 79.6% |
| Special education | $11,798,000 | 14.4% |
| Vocational | $3,626,000 | 4.4% |
| Other programs | $1,289,000 | 1.6% |
Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23
The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $3,217 in 2018-19, $3,361 in 2019-20, $3,525 in 2020-21, $3,608 in 2021-22, $3,864 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 Shelby County scored proficient or above: 60% in reading and 38% 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 | 60% | 47.3% | 11,090 |
| Math | 38% | 27.2% | 11,117 |
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
94% of the 1,576 students in Shelby County'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 | 94% | 90% |
| Students in the class | 1,576 | 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.
15 elementary schools, 9,275 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Intermediate School | 955 | 18.0 | 23.7% | Not Title I |
| Chelsea Park Elementary School | 891 | 16.2 | 23.9% | Not Title I |
| Helena Elementary School | 778 | 17.3 | 25.2% | Not Title I |
| Calera Elementary | 766 | 18.2 | 56.1% | Targeted program |
| Montevallo Elementary School | 758 | 15.2 | 74.5% | Targeted program |
| Calera Intermediate School | 747 | 15.0 | 59.3% | Targeted program |
| Oak Mountain Elementary School | 675 | 16.1 | 19.4% | Not Title I |
| Oak Mountain Intermediate School | 636 | 17.0 | 24.4% | Not Title I |
| Forest Oaks Elementary School | 606 | 16.8 | 25.7% | Not Title I |
| Inverness Elementary School | 563 | 16.0 | 28.6% | Not Title I |
| Elvin Hill Elementary School | 534 | 16.6 | 62.9% | Targeted program |
| Mt Laurel Elementary School | 498 | 16.3 | 17.9% | Not Title I |
The other 3 elementary schools
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vincent Elementary School | 397 | 16.3 | 64.5% | Targeted program |
| Shelby Elementary School | 242 | 13.2 | 52.5% | Targeted program |
| Wilsonville Elementary School | 229 | 14.1 | 48.0% | 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.
6 middle schools, 4,497 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain Middle School | 1,168 | 18.5 | 21.9% | Not Title I |
| Helena Middle | 957 | 18.2 | 22.8% | Not Title I |
| Chelsea Middle School | 831 | 17.9 | 25.8% | Not Title I |
| Calera Middle | 767 | 16.9 | 52.3% | Not Title I |
| Columbiana Middle School | 428 | 14.6 | 56.3% | Not Title I |
| Montevallo Middle School | 346 | 11.3 | 72.3% | 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.
7 high schools, 6,788 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | 1,648 | 18.5 | 20.4% | Not Title I |
| Helena High School | 1,383 | 17.6 | 22.8% | Not Title I |
| Chelsea High School | 1,235 | 17.0 | 20.7% | Not Title I |
| Calera High | 1,018 | 17.9 | 48.8% | Not Title I |
| Shelby County High School | 572 | 14.1 | 53.0% | Not Title I |
| Montevallo High School | 485 | 13.9 | 72.2% | Not Title I |
| Vincent Middle High School | 447 | 11.5 | 61.1% | 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.
1 other school, 78 students
| School | Students | Per teacher | Free lunch | Title I, 2021‑22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linda Nolen Learning Center | 78 | 5.2 | 39.7% | 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 Shelby County
- Website: shelbyed.k12.al.us
- Phone: (205) 682-7000
- Office: 410 E College St, Columbiana, AL 35051
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 Shelby County
- Alabama districts by spending per studentShelby County ranks 79 of 130 Alabama districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($12,436).#79 of 130
- Every school district in AlabamaShelby County is the number 6 by size of 149 Alabama districts, with 21,179 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#6 of 149
- Huntsville CityThe next larger Alabama district: 23,776 students in fall 2022, $13,146 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$13,146
- Birmingham CityThe next smaller Alabama district: 21,130 students in fall 2022, $16,201 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,201
- Compare Shelby County with Huntsville CityEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
- Oak Mountain High School, its largest high school1,648 students in 2024-25, 18.5 per teacher.1,648
- Teacher salary spending across AlabamaShelby County spent $67,679 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $66,861); spending, not a salary.$67,679
- 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 Shelby County
How many schools and students are in Shelby County?
29 schools were open in 2024-25 (15 elementary, 6 middle, 7 high, 1 other), enrolling 20,638 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.How much does Shelby County spend per student?
$12,436 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 $13,422 per student, up 7.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).Where does Shelby County's money come from?
$329,660,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 54.7% state, 38.2% local and 7.1% federal (NCES F-33).How many children in Shelby County live in poverty?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,976 of the 24,637 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 8.0%, 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 Shelby County spend on teacher salaries?
$81,837,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $3,864 per student. Divided by the 1,209 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $67,679 per teacher, more than 58 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 Shelby County do on state tests?
In 2021-22, the students tested in Shelby County scored proficient or above: 60% in reading and 38% 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 Shelby County?
94% of the 1,576 students in Shelby County'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 Shelby County's NCES district ID?
0103030. 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