Enrollment
785
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Smiths Station, AL
East Smiths Station Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for East Smiths Station Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010207000486
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 49
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
East Smiths Station Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Smiths Station · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 56.1%
- free-lunch eligible
East Smiths Station Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, East Smiths Station Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Smiths Station, AL.
School address
District: Lee County · Alabama
NCES ID 010207000486 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
48.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
56.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How East Smiths Station Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at East Smiths Station Elementary School
East Smiths Station Elementary School is a higher-need, large combined-grade school in Smiths Station, Alabama, enrolling 785 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 56.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 785 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 364 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #152.
Its student body is led by White (63%) and African American (19%) (diversity index 56/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 785 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 20.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among Smiths Station's public schools, it stands alongside West Smiths Station Elementary School (811 students): East Smiths Station Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.4:1 vs 15.6:1).
Lee County also operates Smiths Station High School (1,588 students) and Smiths Station Junior High School (910 students) alongside East Smiths Station 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 East Smiths Station Elementary School compares
East Smiths Station 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 56.1% | ▼ 5% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 785 | top 15% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
785
Bigger than 85% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
56.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 5% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 33% in Alabama - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
20.3%
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
$11,578
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 785 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
7
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.9 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 62.7%
African American 19.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 8.3%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 62.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.5, East Smiths Station 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 Lee County, which includes East Smiths Station Elementary School.
$11,578
Per student
-7%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.3%
State 53.3%
Federal 14.4%
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 East Smiths Station Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smiths Station High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smiths Station Junior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Smiths Station Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beauregard Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beulah Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to East Smiths Station Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,588
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 696
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Smiths Station
2 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 (~785 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on East Smiths Station Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare East Smiths Station Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lee 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 East Smiths Station Elementary School
How many students attend East Smiths Station Elementary School?
East Smiths Station Elementary School has 785 students enrolled. It is a public school in Smiths Station, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at East Smiths Station Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at East Smiths Station Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 East Smiths Station Elementary School?
56.1% of students at East Smiths Station Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of East Smiths Station Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at East Smiths Station Elementary School is White at 62.7% of enrollment, in Smiths Station, 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 East Smiths Station Elementary School?
East Smiths Station Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 East Smiths Station Elementary School rank among schools in Smiths Station?
By Resource Investment Index, East Smiths Station Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Smiths Station, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Smiths Station on the city page.
Is East Smiths Station Elementary School a good school?
East Smiths Station Elementary School earns 38/100 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 Lee County?
Besides East Smiths Station Elementary School, Lee County also operates Smiths Station High School (1,588 students), Smiths Station Junior High School (910 students), and West Smiths Station Elementary School (811 students). See the Lee 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.