Enrollment
453
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Attalla, AL
Etowah High School
Federal NCES profile for Etowah High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010018000033
👥 S:T ratio 38
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 9
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Etowah High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% of Alabama schools.
- #5 of 5
- public schools in Attalla · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.6:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 70.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Etowah High School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Etowah High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Attalla, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Etowah High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Etowah High School
Etowah High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Attalla, Alabama, enrolling 453 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.6% of students eligible for free meals.
With 453 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 415 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #331, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (14%) (diversity index 52/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 453 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 47.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 20.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Attalla City also operates Attalla Elementary School (665 students) and Etowah Middle School (342 students) alongside Etowah 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 Etowah High School compares
Etowah 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.6% | ▲ 20% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 453 | top 54% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
453
Bigger than 55% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 23% in Alabama - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
47.2%
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
$11,028
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 453 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
59
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.8 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 66.9%
African American 13.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Two or More 6.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.7, Etowah High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Attalla City, which includes Etowah High School.
$11,028
Per student
-12%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 16.4%
State 63.2%
Federal 20.4%
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 Etowah High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attalla Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Etowah Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Etowah High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 665
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 342
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
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 (~453 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Etowah High School's federal record.
- Compare Etowah High School against another school. Compare schools
- Attalla 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 Etowah High School
How many students attend Etowah High School?
Etowah High School has 453 students enrolled. It is a high school in Attalla, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Etowah High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Etowah High School is 15.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% lower 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 Etowah High School?
70.6% of students at Etowah High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Etowah High School?
The largest demographic group at Etowah High School is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Attalla, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Etowah High School?
Etowah High School has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Etowah High School rank among public schools in Attalla?
By Resource Investment Index, Etowah High School ranks #5 of 5 public schools in Attalla, 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 Attalla on the city page.
Is Etowah High School a good school?
Etowah High School earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Attalla City?
Besides Etowah High School, Attalla City also operates Attalla Elementary School (665 students) and Etowah Middle School (342 students). See the Attalla 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.