Enrollment
610
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Huntsville, AL
Central School
Federal NCES profile for Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010222001684
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 88
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Central School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% of Alabama schools.
- #8 of 29
- schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.1:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 34.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Central School has class sizes smaller than 70% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #8 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Madison County · Alabama
NCES ID 010222001684 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
38.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Central School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Central School
Central School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 610 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 34.7% free-meal eligibility runs 41% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 610 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.
Among 239 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #20, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (11%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 610 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Huntsville's public schools, it stands alongside Providence Elementary (1,152 students): Central School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.1:1 vs 24.5:1).
Madison County also operates Sparkman High School (1,770 students) and Hazel Green High School (1,454 students) alongside Central 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 Central School compares
Central 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 | 16.1:1 | ▼ 9% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.7% | ▼ 41% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 610 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.1:1
Leaner classes than 37% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
610
Bigger than 74% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% 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
16.1:1
students per teacher
- 9% below state mean
Top 30% in Alabama - lower ratio than 70% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$10,543
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 610 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
69
in-school suspensions + 13 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 11.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 13.4 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 66.6%
African American 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 8.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 6.9%
Two or More 6.1%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.8, Central School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Central School.
$10,543
Per student
-16%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 55.4%
Federal 11.5%
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 Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkman High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hazel Green High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckhorn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meridianville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monrovia Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,454
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,320
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,100
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
Similar other schools in Huntsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
1,152 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Mt Carmel Elementary School
Standard public school
638 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Monrovia Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Blossomwood Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Riverton Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Sonnie Hereford Elementary School
Standard public school
578 students 18.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~610 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Central School's federal record.
- Compare Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison 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 Central School
How many students attend Central School?
Central School has 610 students enrolled. It is a public school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Central School is 16.1:1, which is 9% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 3% 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 Central School?
34.7% of students at Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Central School?
The largest demographic group at Central School is White at 66.6% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Central School?
Central 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 Central School rank among schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Central School ranks #8 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Central School a good school?
Central School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 70% 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 Madison County?
Besides Central School, Madison County also operates Sparkman High School (1,770 students), Hazel Green High School (1,454 students), and Buckhorn High School (1,320 students). See the Madison 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.