Enrollment
767
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Montevallo, AL
Calera Middle
Federal NCES profile for Calera Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010303001868
👥 S:T ratio 27
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 56
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Calera Middle earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Montevallo · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.3:1
- students per teacher
- 50.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Calera Middle has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Calera Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Montevallo, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303001868 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
42.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
50.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Calera Middle compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Calera Middle
Calera Middle is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Montevallo, Alabama, enrolling 767 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 50.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 767 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 360 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #57.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and White (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 384 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
17.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 243 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 767 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 25 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Montevallo's middle schools, it stands alongside Montevallo Middle School (346 students): Calera Middle is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.3:1 vs 13.3:1).
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Calera Middle.
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 Calera Middle compares
Calera Middle on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.3:1 | ▲ 3% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 50.7% | ▼ 14% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 767 | top 16% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.3:1
Leaner classes than 23% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
767
Bigger than 84% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
50.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
18.3:1
students per teacher
- 3% above state mean
Top 64% in Alabama - lower ratio than 36% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
17.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,253
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 384 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
163
in-school suspensions + 80 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 21.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 31.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 25 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
African American 43.0%
White 36.1%
Hispanic or Latino 14.1%
Two or More 4.6%
Asian 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 43.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.3, Calera Middle is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Calera Middle.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Calera Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Calera Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,235
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar middle schools in Montevallo
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle 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 (~767 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Calera Middle's federal record.
- Compare Calera Middle against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby 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 Calera Middle
How many students attend Calera Middle?
Calera Middle has 767 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Montevallo, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Calera Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at Calera Middle is 18.3:1, which is 3% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 17% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Calera Middle?
50.7% of students at Calera Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Calera Middle?
The largest demographic group at Calera Middle is African American at 43.0% of enrollment, in Montevallo, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Calera Middle?
Calera Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Calera Middle rank among public schools in Montevallo?
By Resource Investment Index, Calera Middle ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Montevallo, 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 Montevallo on the city page.
Is Calera Middle a good school?
Calera Middle earns 44/100 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 Shelby County?
Besides Calera Middle, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Helena High School (1,383 students), and Chelsea High School (1,235 students). See the Shelby 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.