Enrollment
999
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Decatur, AL
Austin High School
Federal NCES profile for Austin High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010117000426
👥 S:T ratio 40
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 33
📋 Attendance 9
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Austin High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #4 of 4
- high schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 58.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Austin High School has class sizes smaller than 84% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Austin High School ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Decatur, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
67.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Austin High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Austin High School
Austin High School is a higher-need, large high school in Decatur, Alabama, enrolling 999 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 14.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.6% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 93% of state schools at 999 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 204 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #163, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (37%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 333 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Decatur's high schools, it stands alongside Decatur High School (915 students): Austin High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.9:1 vs 15:1).
Decatur City also operates Decatur High School (915 students) and Decatur Middle School (818 students) alongside Austin High School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Austin High School compares
Austin High School on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 14.9:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.6% | ▼ 0% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 999 | top 7% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.9:1
Leaner classes than 48% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
999
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
58.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 0% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.9:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 16% in Alabama - lower ratio than 84% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
36.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,764
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 333 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
148
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 36.8%
Hispanic or Latino 33.9%
White 23.6%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 1.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 36.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.2, Austin High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur City, which includes Austin High School.
$13,764
Per student
+10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 47.0%
Federal 13.5%
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.
How Austin High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Decatur Middle School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Austin Middle School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Austin Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Park Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Austin High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Decatur
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Alabama, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~999 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Austin High School's federal record.
- Compare Austin High School against another school. Compare schools
- Decatur City's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Austin High School
How many students attend Austin High School?
Austin High School has 999 students enrolled. It is a high school in Decatur, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Austin High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Austin High School is 14.9:1, which is 16% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Austin High School?
58.6% of students at Austin High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Austin High School?
The largest demographic group at Austin High School is African American at 36.8% of enrollment, in Decatur, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Austin High School?
Austin High School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Austin High School rank among high schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Austin High School ranks #4 of 4 high schools in Decatur, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Decatur on the city page.
Is Austin High School a good school?
Austin High School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 84% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Decatur City?
Besides Austin High School, Decatur City also operates Decatur High School (915 students), Decatur Middle School (818 students), and Austin Middle School (727 students). See the Decatur City district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.