Enrollment
437
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Midland City, AL
Dale County High School
Federal NCES profile for Dale County High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010105000389
👥 S:T ratio 33
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dale County High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 67.6%
- free-lunch eligible
- 437
- students enrolled
Dale County High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Dale County · Alabama
NCES ID 010105000389 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
67.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dale County High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dale County High School
Dale County High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Midland City, Alabama, enrolling 437 students.
At 16.8:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 67.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 437 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 423 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #226.
Its student body is led by White (59%) and African American (31%) (diversity index 56/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The federal civil-rights collection also records 21 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Dale County also operates Ariton School (887 students) and Gw Long Elementary School (492 students) alongside Dale County High 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 Dale County High School compares
Dale County High 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 67.6% | ▲ 15% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 57% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
67.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 41% in Alabama - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.5%
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
$11,476
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 437 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
22
in-school suspensions + 41 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 21 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 58.6%
African American 31.1%
Hispanic or Latino 6.2%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 58.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, Dale County High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dale County, which includes Dale County High School.
$11,476
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.9%
State 64.6%
Federal 13.5%
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 Dale County High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ariton School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Gw Long Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Midland City Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| South Dale Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| George W Long High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dale County High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 887
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 492
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 478
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 412
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 377
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
Similar high 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 (~437 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dale County High School's federal record.
- Compare Dale County High School against another school. Compare schools
- Dale 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 Dale County High School
How many students attend Dale County High School?
Dale County High School has 437 students enrolled. It is a high school in Midland City, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dale County High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dale County High School is 16.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 7% 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 Dale County High School?
67.6% of students at Dale County High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dale County High School?
The largest demographic group at Dale County High School is White at 58.6% of enrollment, in Midland City, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dale County High School?
Dale County High School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is Dale County High School a good school?
Dale County High School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Dale County?
Besides Dale County High School, Dale County also operates Ariton School (887 students), Gw Long Elementary School (492 students), and Midland City Elementary School (478 students). See the Dale 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.