Enrollment
37
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Decatur, AL
Decatur High Developmental
Federal NCES profile for Decatur High Developmental, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 35/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010117002175
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 66
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Decatur High Developmental earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #1 of 4
- high schools in Decatur · Resource Index
- 35
- Resource Index · Typical
- 71.1%
- free-lunch eligible
- 37
- students enrolled
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High Developmental ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Decatur, AL.
School address
Free-lunch eligible
71.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+21% vs state
What stands out at Decatur High Developmental
Decatur High Developmental is a higher-need, small high school in Decatur, Alabama, enrolling 37 students.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.1% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Alabama schools, with 37 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Its student body is led by African American (43%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
13.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Decatur's high schools, it stands alongside Austin High School (999 students): Decatur High Developmental is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Decatur City also operates Austin High School (999 students) and Decatur High School (915 students) alongside Decatur High Developmental.
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 Decatur High Developmental compares
Decatur High Developmental on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.1% | ▲ 21% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 37 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
37
Bigger than 4% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 21% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Engagement
13.5%
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
$13,764
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.4 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
African American 43.2%
Hispanic or Latino 29.7%
White 24.3%
Two or More 2.7%
Largest group: African American at 43.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.5, Decatur High Developmental is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur City, which includes Decatur High Developmental.
$13,764
Per student
+10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 47.0%
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 Decatur High Developmental Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin High School | Larger | Lower economic need | No ratio data |
| Decatur High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Decatur Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Austin Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Austin Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
Comparisons are relative to Decatur High Developmental's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 999
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 915
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 818
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 664
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Decatur
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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.
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Decatur High Developmental's federal record.
- Compare Decatur High Developmental against another school. Compare schools
- Decatur 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 Decatur High Developmental
How many students attend Decatur High Developmental?
Decatur High Developmental has 37 students enrolled. It is a high school in Decatur, AL.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Decatur High Developmental?
71.1% of students at Decatur High Developmental are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Decatur High Developmental?
The largest demographic group at Decatur High Developmental is African American at 43.2% of enrollment, in Decatur, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Decatur High Developmental?
Decatur High Developmental has a Resource Investment Index of 35/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Decatur High Developmental rank among high schools in Decatur?
By Resource Investment Index, Decatur High Developmental ranks #1 of 4 high schools in Decatur, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Decatur on the city page.
Is Decatur High Developmental a good school?
Decatur High Developmental earns 35/100 on the Resource Investment Index on federal resource data. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama. 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 Decatur City?
Besides Decatur High Developmental, Decatur City also operates Austin High School (999 students), Decatur High School (915 students), and Decatur Middle School (818 students). See the Decatur 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.