Enrollment
380
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dothan, AL
Girard Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Girard Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010123000448
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 8
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Girard Primary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% of Alabama schools.
- #10 of 11
- elementary schools in Dothan · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 19:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 89.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Girard Primary School has class sizes larger than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Girard Primary School ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Dothan, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Girard Primary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Girard Primary School
Girard Primary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Dothan, Alabama, enrolling 380 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 89.8% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 380 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 178 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #167, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (76%) and White (13%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 380 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 36.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 25.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Dothan's elementary schools, it stands alongside Kelly Springs Elementary School (516 students): Girard Primary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (19:1 vs 19.1:1).
Dothan City also operates Dothan High School (1,588 students) and Dothan Preparatory Academy (1,034 students) alongside Girard Primary 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 Girard Primary School compares
Girard Primary 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 | 19:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.8% | ▲ 53% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 380 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
380
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
19:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 73% in Alabama - lower ratio than 27% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
36.8%
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
$12,004
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 380 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
13
in-school suspensions + 27 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 10.5 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 76.1%
White 12.9%
Hispanic or Latino 6.1%
Two or More 4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Largest group: African American at 76.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 39.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 39.8, Girard Primary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Dothan City, which includes Girard Primary School.
$12,004
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.5%
State 53.0%
Federal 25.5%
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 Girard Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dothan Preparatory Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carver 9th Grade Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kelly Springs Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highlands Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Girard Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,588
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 14/100
- Enrollment
- 1,034
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 583
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 17/100
- Enrollment
- 516
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 501
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Dothan
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Kelly Springs Elementary School
Standard public school
516 students 19.1:1 students per teacher
Highlands Elementary School
Standard public school
501 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Hidden Lake Primary School
Standard public school
476 students 19:1 students per teacher
Girard Intermediate School
Standard public school
449 students 29.9:1 students per teacher
Carver School of Mathematics Science and Technology
Standard public school
429 students 22.6:1 students per teacher
Selma Street Elementary School
Standard public school
421 students 16.2:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary 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 (~380 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Girard Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Girard Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Dothan 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 Girard Primary School
How many students attend Girard Primary School?
Girard Primary School has 380 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dothan, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Girard Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Girard Primary School is 19:1, which is 7% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 21% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Girard Primary School?
89.8% of students at Girard Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Girard Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Girard Primary School is African American at 76.1% of enrollment, in Dothan, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Girard Primary School?
Girard Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (lower 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 Girard Primary School rank among elementary schools in Dothan?
By Resource Investment Index, Girard Primary School ranks #10 of 11 elementary schools in Dothan, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Dothan on the city page.
Is Girard Primary School a good school?
Girard Primary School earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 73% 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 Dothan City?
Besides Girard Primary School, Dothan City also operates Dothan High School (1,588 students), Dothan Preparatory Academy (1,034 students), and Carver 9th Grade Academy (583 students). See the Dothan 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.