Tuscaloosa City operates 19 public schools serving 11,186 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 11 other, 4 middle, 3 high, 1 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 11,230 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Tuscaloosa County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $14,403 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 39.7% local, 42.3% state, and 18.0% 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 $60,713 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 47/100, ranked #77 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 3 of 19 schools offering Advanced Placement (19 AP courses district-wide), a 402.2:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 21.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 67.5% African American, 19.7% White, 8.2% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Tuscaloosa City school enrollment varies 6.7× across entities
Tuscaloosa City school enrollment ranges from 173 students (lowest) to 1,153 students (highest), a spread of 980 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.
Tuscaloosa City has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 56.2% 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.
Tuscaloosa City student-counselor ratio is 402:1 — 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.
Tuscaloosa City chronic absenteeism rate is 21.7% — 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 Tuscaloosa City is typically wider than the Tuscaloosa City-aggregate figure suggests.
Tuscaloosa City has 19 schools, including 3 high, 4 middle, 11 other, 1 elementary. Total enrollment is 11,186 students.
How much does Tuscaloosa City spend per student?
Tuscaloosa City spends $14,403 per student. The district has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #77 in Alabama.
What is the average teacher salary in Tuscaloosa City?
The average teacher salary in Tuscaloosa City is $60,713 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Tuscaloosa City?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Tuscaloosa County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Tuscaloosa City?
Tuscaloosa City students are 67.5% African American, 19.7% White, 8.2% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% Asian, averaged across 19 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Tuscaloosa City?
Tuscaloosa City has an equity score of 47/100, ranking #77 out of 146 districts in Alabama. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.