Enrollment
522
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Moundville, AL
Big Sandy Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Big Sandy Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010339002350
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Big Sandy Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Moundville · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 49.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Big Sandy Elementary has class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Big Sandy Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Moundville, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339002350 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Big Sandy Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Big Sandy Elementary
Big Sandy Elementary is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Moundville, Alabama, enrolling 522 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Alabama schools and 18% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 522 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 425 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #224.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (39%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 522 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Moundville's public schools, it stands alongside Moundville Elementary School (586 students): Big Sandy Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 16.3:1).
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,434 students) alongside Big Sandy Elementary.
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 Big Sandy Elementary compares
Big Sandy Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.9:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.0% | ▼ 17% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 522 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
522
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 90% in Alabama - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
13.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,186
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 522 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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 50.6%
White 39.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 50.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.5, Big Sandy Elementary is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa County, which includes Big Sandy Elementary.
$11,186
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.9%
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 Big Sandy Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Big Sandy Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools in Moundville
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other 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 (~522 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Big Sandy Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Big Sandy Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa 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 Big Sandy Elementary
How many students attend Big Sandy Elementary?
Big Sandy Elementary has 522 students enrolled. It is a public school in Moundville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Big Sandy Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Big Sandy Elementary is 20.9:1, which is 18% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Big Sandy Elementary?
49.0% of students at Big Sandy Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Big Sandy Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Big Sandy Elementary is African American at 50.6% of enrollment, in Moundville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Big Sandy Elementary?
Big Sandy Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Big Sandy Elementary rank among public schools in Moundville?
By Resource Investment Index, Big Sandy Elementary ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Moundville, 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 Moundville on the city page.
Is Big Sandy Elementary a good school?
Big Sandy Elementary earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Besides Big Sandy Elementary, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Hillcrest High School (1,434 students), and Brookwood High School (1,076 students). See the Tuscaloosa 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.