Tuscaloosa County operates 35 public schools serving 19,377 students, placing it in the mid-size range in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 18 other, 6 high, 6 middle, 5 elementary schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 19,278 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 $12,636 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 27.0% local, 58.1% state, and 14.9% 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 $57,870 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 26/100, ranked #136 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 5 of 35 schools offering Advanced Placement (25 AP courses district-wide), a 452.6:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 21.1% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 50.4% White, 31.7% African American, 14.6% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Tuscaloosa County school enrollment varies 7.8× across entities
Tuscaloosa County school enrollment ranges from 205 students (lowest) to 1,607 students (highest), a spread of 1,402 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 County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 57.0% 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 County student-counselor ratio is 453:1 — 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 County chronic absenteeism rate is 21.1% — 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 County is typically wider than the Tuscaloosa County-aggregate figure suggests.
Tuscaloosa County has 35 schools, including 6 high, 18 other, 6 middle, 5 elementary. Total enrollment is 19,377 students.
How much does Tuscaloosa County spend per student?
Tuscaloosa County spends $12,636 per student. The district has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #136 in Alabama.
What is the average teacher salary in Tuscaloosa County?
The average teacher salary in Tuscaloosa County is $57,870 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Tuscaloosa County?
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 County?
Tuscaloosa County students are 50.4% White, 31.7% African American, 14.6% Hispanic or Latino, 0.6% Asian, averaged across 35 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Tuscaloosa County?
Tuscaloosa County has an equity score of 26/100, ranking #136 out of 146 districts in Alabama. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.