Enrollment
1,076
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Gardendale, AL
Gardendale High School
Federal NCES profile for Gardendale High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010192000706
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 55
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 42
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gardendale High School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Gardendale · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.9:1
- students per teacher
- 41.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Gardendale High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gardendale High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Gardendale, AL.
School address
District: Jefferson County · Alabama
NCES ID 010192000706 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
60.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+1% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gardendale High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gardendale High School
Gardendale High School is a large high school in Gardendale, Alabama, enrolling 1,076 students.
At 17.9:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,076 students.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 93% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 160 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #144, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (57%) and African American (30%) (diversity index 58/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 11 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 538 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.3% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 313 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,076 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Jefferson County also operates Claychalkville High School (1,377 students) and Mcadory High School (1,259 students) alongside Gardendale 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 Gardendale High School compares
Gardendale 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 | 17.9:1 | ▲ 1% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.7% | ▼ 29% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,076 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.9:1
Leaner classes than 25% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,076
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% 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
17.9:1
students per teacher
- 1% above state mean
Top 58% in Alabama - lower ratio than 42% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.3%
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
$11,497
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 538 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
201
in-school suspensions + 112 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 29.1 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 57.2%
African American 29.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 2.0%
Two or More 1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.6, Gardendale High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 11
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jefferson County, which includes Gardendale High School.
$11,497
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.2%
State 54.2%
Federal 17.6%
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 Gardendale High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claychalkville High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mcadory High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hueytown High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Shades Valley High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pinson Valley High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gardendale High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,377
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
- Enrollment
- 1,259
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 1,200
- Students per teacher
- 23.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,025
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
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 (~1,076 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gardendale High School's federal record.
- Compare Gardendale High School against another school. Compare schools
- Jefferson 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 Gardendale High School
How many students attend Gardendale High School?
Gardendale High School has 1,076 students enrolled. It is a high school in Gardendale, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gardendale High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gardendale High School is 17.9:1, which is 1% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 14% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gardendale High School?
41.7% of students at Gardendale High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gardendale High School?
The largest demographic group at Gardendale High School is White at 57.2% of enrollment, in Gardendale, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gardendale High School?
Gardendale High School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (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 Gardendale High School rank among public schools in Gardendale?
By Resource Investment Index, Gardendale High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Gardendale, 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 Gardendale on the city page.
Is Gardendale High School a good school?
Gardendale High School earns 31/100 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 Jefferson County?
Besides Gardendale High School, Jefferson County also operates Claychalkville High School (1,377 students), Mcadory High School (1,259 students), and Hueytown High School (1,200 students). See the Jefferson 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.