Enrollment
423
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grand Bay, AL
Cora Castlen Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Cora Castlen Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010237000924
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 15
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Cora Castlen Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Grand Bay · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 59.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Cora Castlen Elementary has class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Cora Castlen Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Grand Bay, AL.
School address
District: Mobile County · Alabama
NCES ID 010237000924 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
22.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
59.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Cora Castlen Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Cora Castlen Elementary
Cora Castlen Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Grand Bay, Alabama, enrolling 423 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 59.7% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 423 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 442 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #257.
Its student body is led by White (80%) and African American (8%) (diversity index 35/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 423 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Grand Bay's public schools, it stands alongside Breitling Elementary School (471 students): Cora Castlen Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 17.4:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Cora Castlen 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 Cora Castlen Elementary compares
Cora Castlen 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 59.7% | ▲ 2% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 423 | top 60% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
423
Bigger than 51% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
59.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 76% in Alabama - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.3%
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
$12,163
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 423 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.9 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 79.7%
African American 7.6%
Two or More 6.6%
Hispanic or Latino 3.8%
Asian 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 79.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 35.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 35.3, Cora Castlen Elementary is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Cora Castlen Elementary.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
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 Cora Castlen Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Cora Castlen Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Grand Bay
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 (~423 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Cora Castlen Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Cora Castlen Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile 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 Cora Castlen Elementary
How many students attend Cora Castlen Elementary?
Cora Castlen Elementary has 423 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grand Bay, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Cora Castlen Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Cora Castlen Elementary is 19.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Cora Castlen Elementary?
59.7% of students at Cora Castlen Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Cora Castlen Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Cora Castlen Elementary is White at 79.7% of enrollment, in Grand Bay, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Cora Castlen Elementary?
Cora Castlen Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (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 Cora Castlen Elementary rank among public schools in Grand Bay?
By Resource Investment Index, Cora Castlen Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Grand Bay, 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 Grand Bay on the city page.
Is Cora Castlen Elementary a good school?
Cora Castlen Elementary earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Mobile County?
Besides Cora Castlen Elementary, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile 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.