Enrollment
7,822
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 010210002436
Alabama Connections Academy — Athens, AL
Federal NCES profile for Alabama Connections Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 39/100.
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: Limestone County · Alabama
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Free-lunch eligible
63.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+8% vs state
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
Alabama Connections Academy reports 7,822 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 63.4% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% above the Alabama average and 22% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 460 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1.
On the finance side, the surrounding Limestone County spends $8,557 per pupil district-wide, below the Alabama average of $14,500 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.4% from local sources (property taxes), 61.6% from the state, and 11.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F), calculated from 2 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Alabama Connections Academy compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alabama state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 63.4% | ▲ 8% | 58.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 7,822 | top 100% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
63.4%
free-lunch eligible
— 8% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Funding equity
$8,557
per pupil, district-wide
— below Alabama avg of $14,500
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors17.0 FTE
Per 460 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
Enrollment 7,822 Top 100% in Alabama — larger than 0% of 1,369 state schools
Teachers (FTE) —
Students per teacher —
Free-lunch eligible 63.4% +8% vs state
NCES ID 010210002436
Student demographics
White 61.1%
African American 25.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.4%
Two or More 4.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%
Asian 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 61.1% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
AP courses offered 10
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 17.0
Students per counselor 460:1
Discipline & special education
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Limestone County, which includes Alabama Connections Academy.
$8,557
Per student
-41%
vs Alabama
Avg $14,500
-56%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.4%
State 61.6%
Federal 11.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 23.3:1
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
Similar other schools in Athens
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
East Limestone High School
Standard public school
1,216 students 23.3:1 students per teacher
Athens Renaissance School
Standard public school
606 students 25.8:1 students per teacher
Blue Springs Elementary School
Standard public school
558 students 17.8:1 students per teacher
Clements High School
Standard public school
525 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Johnson Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 16.5:1 students per teacher
Athens Elementary School
Standard public school
474 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about Alabama Connections Academy
How many students attend Alabama Connections Academy?
Alabama Connections Academy has 7,822 students enrolled. It is a other school in Athens, AL.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Alabama Connections Academy?
63.4% of students at Alabama Connections Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Alabama Connections Academy?
The largest demographic group at Alabama Connections Academy is White at 61.1%. The school serves a diverse student body in Athens, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Alabama Connections Academy?
Alabama Connections Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (F) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.