Enrollment
428
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Columbiana, AL
Columbiana Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Columbiana Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 36/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010303001173
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 14
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Columbiana Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Columbiana · Resource Index
- 36
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 59.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Columbiana Middle School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Columbiana Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Columbiana, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303001173 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+1% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Columbiana Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Columbiana Middle School
Columbiana Middle School is a higher-need, mid-sized middle school in Columbiana, Alabama, enrolling 428 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 428 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 451 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #277.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 428 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 155 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 428 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 12 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Columbiana Middle 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 Columbiana Middle School compares
Columbiana Middle 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.1% | ▲ 1% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 428 | top 58% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
428
Bigger than 52% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 1% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 27% in Alabama - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.5%
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
$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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 428 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
80
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 36.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 12 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
White 75.2%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
African American 7.9%
Two or More 3.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: White at 75.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.0, Columbiana Middle School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Columbiana Middle School.
$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 Columbiana Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Columbiana Middle School'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 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 (~428 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Columbiana Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Columbiana Middle School 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 Columbiana Middle School
How many students attend Columbiana Middle School?
Columbiana Middle School has 428 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Columbiana, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Columbiana Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Columbiana Middle School is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% 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 Columbiana Middle School?
59.1% of students at Columbiana Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Columbiana Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Columbiana Middle School is White at 75.2% of enrollment, in Columbiana, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Columbiana Middle School?
Columbiana Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 36/100 (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 Columbiana Middle School rank among public schools in Columbiana?
By Resource Investment Index, Columbiana Middle School ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Columbiana, 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 Columbiana on the city page.
Is Columbiana Middle School a good school?
Columbiana Middle School earns 36/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Shelby County?
Besides Columbiana Middle School, 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.