Tallapoosa County

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.

Dadeville, Alabama - 5 schools

An equity score of 52/100 ranks Tallapoosa County #72 of 146 districts in Alabama (state average 51). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $12,240 per pupil, Tallapoosa County ranks #62 of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending (Alabama districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

2,791
Total Enrollment
5
Schools
$12,240
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Tallapoosa County operates 5 public schools serving 2,791 students, placing it among the smallest districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 combined 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 Tallapoosa County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $12,240 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 146 Alabama districts by per-pupil spending. See how Alabama compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 35.0% local, 47.4% state, and 17.6% 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 52/100, ranked #72 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.

Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 5 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 486.8:1 student-counselor ratio, above both the ASCA benchmark and the roughly 408:1 national average, and 21.4% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 65.8% White, 28.4% African American, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Dadeville Elementary School, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.

Its largest campus is Horseshoe Bend High School, enrolling 776 students (27% of the district's total enrollment).

Horseshoe Bend High School accounts for 27.5% of all Tallapoosa County student enrollment

That dominant concentration means Tallapoosa County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: combined. 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

Tallapoosa County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 64.7% 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

Tallapoosa County student-counselor ratio is 487:1 — 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

Tallapoosa County chronic absenteeism rate is 21.4% — 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 Tallapoosa County is typically wider than the Tallapoosa County-aggregate figure suggests.

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

Where does the funding come from?

17.6%
Federal
47.4%
State
35.0%
Local

Funding Equity

52
Equity Score
72 / 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 5 schools in Tallapoosa County.

White 65.8%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
African American 28.4%
Multiracial 2.6%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 43.0/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Tallapoosa County's schools, about the same as the Alabama average of 42.5.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Dadeville Elementary School 56.9
  2. 2 Dadeville High School 54.9
  3. 3 Reeltown Elementary School 45.1
  4. 4 Reeltown High School 42.4
  5. 5 Horseshoe Bend High School 15.8

Programs & Resources

1 / 5
Schools with AP
3 AP courses total
486.8:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
21.4%
Chronically Absent

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

Schools in Tallapoosa County

School Enrollment
Horseshoe Bend High School
776
Dadeville Elementary School
571
Dadeville High School
534
Reeltown High School
495
Reeltown Elementary School
446

How Tallapoosa County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Alabama districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Geneva County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Jasper City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Coffee County Similar size Similar spending Less locally funded
Pike Road City Similar size Lower spending Similar funding mix
Muscle Shoals City Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix

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

Compare Tallapoosa County

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 Tallapoosa County?

Tallapoosa County has 5 schools, including 5 combined. Total enrollment is 2,791 students.

How much does Tallapoosa County spend per student?

Tallapoosa County spends $12,240 per student. The district has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #72 in Alabama.

What is the demographic composition of Tallapoosa County?

Tallapoosa County students are 65.8% White, 28.4% African American, 2.7% Hispanic or Latino, 0.2% Asian, averaged across 5 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Tallapoosa County?

Tallapoosa County has an equity score of 52/100, ranking #72 out of 146 districts in Alabama.