Enrollment
519
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Fairfield, AL
Fairfield High Preparatory School
Federal NCES profile for Fairfield High Preparatory School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010144000516
👥 S:T ratio 20
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 65
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Fairfield High Preparatory School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Fairfield · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 77.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Fairfield High Preparatory School has class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfield High Preparatory School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, AL.
School address
District: Fairfield City · Alabama
NCES ID 010144000516 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+13% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Fairfield High Preparatory School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Fairfield High Preparatory School
Fairfield High Preparatory School is a high-poverty, mid-sized high school in Fairfield, Alabama, enrolling 519 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 20:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 519 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 332 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #113.
Its student body is predominantly African American (94% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 11/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 173 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 51.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Fairfield City also operates C J Donald Middle School (316 students) and Glen Oaks Elementary School (275 students) alongside Fairfield High Preparatory 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 Fairfield High Preparatory School compares
Fairfield High Preparatory 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 | 20:1 | ▲ 13% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.1% | ▲ 31% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 519 | top 42% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
519
Bigger than 64% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
20:1
students per teacher
- 13% above state mean
Top 84% in Alabama - lower ratio than 16% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
51.1%
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
$13,725
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 173 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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
African American 94.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
White 0.6%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 94.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 11.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 11.0, Fairfield High Preparatory School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fairfield City, which includes Fairfield High Preparatory School.
$13,725
Per student
+10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.6%
State 55.3%
Federal 25.1%
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 Fairfield High Preparatory School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| C J Donald Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glen Oaks Elementary School | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Robinson Primary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Fairfield High Preparatory School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 316
- Students per teacher
- 28.7:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 275
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 238
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 55/100
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 (~519 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Fairfield High Preparatory School's federal record.
- Compare Fairfield High Preparatory School against another school. Compare schools
- Fairfield 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 Fairfield High Preparatory School
How many students attend Fairfield High Preparatory School?
Fairfield High Preparatory School has 519 students enrolled. It is a high school in Fairfield, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Fairfield High Preparatory School?
The student-teacher ratio at Fairfield High Preparatory School is 20:1, which is 13% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Fairfield High Preparatory School?
77.1% of students at Fairfield High Preparatory School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Fairfield High Preparatory School?
The largest demographic group at Fairfield High Preparatory School is African American at 94.2% of enrollment, in Fairfield, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Fairfield High Preparatory School?
Fairfield High Preparatory School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical 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 Fairfield High Preparatory School rank among public schools in Fairfield?
By Resource Investment Index, Fairfield High Preparatory School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Fairfield, 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 Fairfield on the city page.
Is Fairfield High Preparatory School a good school?
Fairfield High Preparatory School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 84% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Fairfield City?
Besides Fairfield High Preparatory School, Fairfield City also operates C J Donald Middle School (316 students), Glen Oaks Elementary School (275 students), and Robinson Primary School (238 students). See the Fairfield 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.