Enrollment
387
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Guntersville, AL
Cherokee Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Cherokee Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010169000580
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 23
📋 Attendance 67
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cherokee Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 6
- public schools in Guntersville · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 21.5:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 48.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Cherokee Elementary School has class sizes larger than 93% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Guntersville, AL.
School address
District: Guntersville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010169000580 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
48.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cherokee Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cherokee Elementary School
Cherokee Elementary School is a mid-sized elementary school in Guntersville, Alabama, enrolling 387 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.5:1 is larger than about 93% of Alabama schools and 21% 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 48.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 387 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 326 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #124.
Its student body is led by White (77%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 387 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
13.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Guntersville City also operates Guntersville High School (556 students) and Guntersville Elementary School (486 students) alongside Cherokee Elementary 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 Cherokee Elementary School compares
Cherokee Elementary 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 | 21.5:1 | ▲ 21% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 48.3% | ▼ 18% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 387 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
387
Bigger than 45% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
48.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% 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
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 93% in Alabama - lower ratio than 7% 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
$12,616
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 387 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
9
in-school suspensions + 25 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.8 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 77.0%
African American 14.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.4%
Two or More 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Largest group: White at 77.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 38.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 38.4, Cherokee Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Guntersville City, which includes Cherokee Elementary School.
$12,616
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.0%
State 44.8%
Federal 16.3%
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 Cherokee Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guntersville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Guntersville Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Guntersville Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cherokee Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 556
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 381
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~387 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cherokee Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Cherokee Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Guntersville 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 Cherokee Elementary School
How many students attend Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has 387 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Guntersville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Cherokee Elementary School is 21.5:1, which is 21% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cherokee Elementary School?
48.3% of students at Cherokee Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cherokee Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Cherokee Elementary School is White at 77.0% of enrollment, in Guntersville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cherokee Elementary School?
Cherokee Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Cherokee Elementary School rank among public schools in Guntersville?
By Resource Investment Index, Cherokee Elementary School ranks #1 of 6 public schools in Guntersville, 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 Guntersville on the city page.
Is Cherokee Elementary School a good school?
Cherokee Elementary School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 93% 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 Guntersville City?
Besides Cherokee Elementary School, Guntersville City also operates Guntersville High School (556 students), Guntersville Elementary School (486 students), and Guntersville Middle School (381 students). See the Guntersville 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.