Enrollment
852
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Alexander City, AL
Benjamin Russell High School
Federal NCES profile for Benjamin Russell High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010003000003
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 35
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Benjamin Russell High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Alexander City · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 35.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Benjamin Russell High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Russell High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Alexander City, AL.
School address
District: Alexander City · Alabama
NCES ID 010003000003 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
52.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
35.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-40% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Benjamin Russell High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Benjamin Russell High School
Benjamin Russell High School is a large high school in Alexander City, Alabama, enrolling 852 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 35.3% free-meal eligibility runs 40% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 852 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 203 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #180, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (43%) and African American (39%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 7 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 426 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 245 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 852 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Alexander City also operates Jim Pearson Elementary School (704 students) and Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School (436 students) alongside Benjamin Russell 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 Benjamin Russell High School compares
Benjamin Russell 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 35.3% | ▼ 40% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 852 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
852
Bigger than 87% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
35.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 40% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 33% in Alabama - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.8%
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
$12,566
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 426 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
186
in-school suspensions + 59 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.8 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
White 43.1%
African American 39.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.0%
Two or More 3.9%
Asian 0.8%
Largest group: White at 43.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Benjamin Russell High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 7
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexander City, which includes Benjamin Russell High School.
$12,566
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.6%
State 50.2%
Federal 21.2%
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 Benjamin Russell High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Pearson Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alexander City Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William L Radney Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Benjamin Russell High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 704
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~852 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.4:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Benjamin Russell High School's federal record.
- Compare Benjamin Russell High School against another school. Compare schools
- Alexander 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 Benjamin Russell High School
How many students attend Benjamin Russell High School?
Benjamin Russell High School has 852 students enrolled. It is a high school in Alexander City, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Russell High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Benjamin Russell High School is 16.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 Benjamin Russell High School?
35.3% of students at Benjamin Russell High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Benjamin Russell High School?
The largest demographic group at Benjamin Russell High School is White at 43.1% of enrollment, in Alexander City, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Benjamin Russell High School?
Benjamin Russell High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower 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 Benjamin Russell High School rank among public schools in Alexander City?
By Resource Investment Index, Benjamin Russell High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Alexander City, 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 Alexander City on the city page.
Is Benjamin Russell High School a good school?
Benjamin Russell High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Alexander City?
Besides Benjamin Russell High School, Alexander City also operates Jim Pearson Elementary School (704 students), Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School (436 students), and Alexander City Middle School (430 students). See the Alexander 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.