Enrollment
298
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Cordova, AL
Bankhead Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Bankhead Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010345001305
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 40
📋 Attendance 48
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bankhead Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Cordova · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 53.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Bankhead Middle School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bankhead Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cordova, AL.
School address
District: Walker County · Alabama
NCES ID 010345001305 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bankhead Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bankhead Middle School
Bankhead Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Cordova, Alabama, enrolling 298 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 53.2% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 298 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 233 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #56.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 19/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 298 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students) and Valley Junior High School (602 students) alongside Bankhead Middle 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 Bankhead Middle School compares
Bankhead Middle 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.2% | ▼ 10% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 298 | top 81% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
298
Bigger than 32% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in Alabama - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.8%
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
$12,315
per pupil, district-wide
- below Alabama avg of $12,491
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 298 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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
White 89.9%
African American 5.0%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Two or More 2.3%
Largest group: White at 89.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.8, Bankhead Middle School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walker County, which includes Bankhead Middle School.
$12,315
Per student
-1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 57.8%
Federal 17.8%
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 Bankhead Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumiton Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Valley Junior High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Curry Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dora High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sumiton Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bankhead Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 602
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar elementary 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 (~298 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bankhead Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Bankhead Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Walker County'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 Bankhead Middle School
How many students attend Bankhead Middle School?
Bankhead Middle School has 298 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Cordova, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bankhead Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Bankhead Middle School is 16.6:1, which is 6% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 6% higher 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 Bankhead Middle School?
53.2% of students at Bankhead Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bankhead Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Bankhead Middle School is White at 89.9% of enrollment, in Cordova, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bankhead Middle School?
Bankhead Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bankhead Middle School rank among public schools in Cordova?
By Resource Investment Index, Bankhead Middle School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Cordova, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Cordova on the city page.
Is Bankhead Middle School a good school?
Bankhead Middle School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Walker County?
Besides Bankhead Middle School, Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students), Valley Junior High School (602 students), and Curry Elementary School (550 students). See the Walker County 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.