Enrollment
251
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Opelika, AL
Dixie Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Dixie Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010288001132
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 50
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Dixie Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in Opelika · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.3:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 66.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Dixie Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Dixie Elementary School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Opelika, AL.
School address
District: Russell County · Alabama
NCES ID 010288001132 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+9% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
66.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+14% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Dixie Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Dixie Elementary School
Dixie Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Opelika, Alabama, enrolling 251 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.3:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 66.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 251 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 179 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #61.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 50/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 251 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 23.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Opelika's public schools, it stands alongside Beauregard Elementary School (783 students): Dixie Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.3:1 vs 17:1).
Russell County also operates Russell County High School (1,078 students) and Russell County Middle School (810 students) alongside Dixie 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 Dixie Elementary School compares
Dixie 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 | 19.3:1 | ▲ 9% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 66.9% | ▲ 14% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 251 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.3:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
251
Bigger than 25% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
66.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 14% 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
19.3:1
students per teacher
- 9% 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
21.1%
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
$11,388
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 251 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
2
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 67.3%
African American 19.1%
Two or More 7.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.2%
Asian 1.2%
Largest group: White at 67.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 50.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 50.3, Dixie Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Russell County, which includes Dixie Elementary School.
$11,388
Per student
-9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.9%
State 56.0%
Federal 23.1%
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 Dixie Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Russell County Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Oliver Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ladonia Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mt Olive Primary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Dixie Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,078
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 810
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 481
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 461
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 424
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
Similar other schools in Opelika
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 (~251 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Dixie Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Dixie Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Russell 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 Dixie Elementary School
How many students attend Dixie Elementary School?
Dixie Elementary School has 251 students enrolled. It is a public school in Opelika, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dixie Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Dixie Elementary School is 19.3:1, which is 9% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 23% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Dixie Elementary School?
66.9% of students at Dixie Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Dixie Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Dixie Elementary School is White at 67.3% of enrollment, in Opelika, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 50.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Dixie Elementary School?
Dixie Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Dixie Elementary School rank among public schools in Opelika?
By Resource Investment Index, Dixie Elementary School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Opelika, 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 Opelika on the city page.
Is Dixie Elementary School a good school?
Dixie Elementary School earns 47/100 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 Russell County?
Besides Dixie Elementary School, Russell County also operates Russell County High School (1,078 students), Russell County Middle School (810 students), and Oliver Elementary School (481 students). See the Russell 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.