Enrollment
290
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bessemer, AL
Greenwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Greenwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 45/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010033000082
👥 S:T ratio 28
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 42
📋 Attendance 39
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Greenwood Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #1 of 12
- public schools in Bessemer · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.1:1
- students per teacher
- 74.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Greenwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Greenwood Elementary School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, AL.
School address
District: Bessemer City · Alabama
NCES ID 010033000082 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
74.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Greenwood Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Greenwood Elementary School
Greenwood Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bessemer, Alabama, enrolling 290 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.1:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 74.1% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 290 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 253 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #76.
Its student body is led by African American (55%) and Hispanic or Latino (38%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 290 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 26.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bessemer's elementary schools, it stands alongside Westhills Elementary School (277 students): Greenwood Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.1:1 vs 19.8:1).
Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students) and Bessemer City Middle School (616 students) alongside Greenwood 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 Greenwood Elementary School compares
Greenwood 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 | 18.1:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 74.1% | ▲ 26% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 290 | top 82% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.1:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
290
Bigger than 31% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
74.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
18.1:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 62% in Alabama - lower ratio than 38% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.5%
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
$13,580
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 290 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.4 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 55.2%
Hispanic or Latino 38.3%
White 3.8%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 55.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 54.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 54.7, Greenwood 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 Bessemer City, which includes Greenwood Elementary School.
$13,580
Per student
+9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 46.5%
Federal 26.3%
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 Greenwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bessemer City Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jonesboro Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles F Hard Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Westhills Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Greenwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 277
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Bessemer
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
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 (~290 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Greenwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Greenwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bessemer 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 Greenwood Elementary School
How many students attend Greenwood Elementary School?
Greenwood Elementary School has 290 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bessemer, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Greenwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Greenwood Elementary School is 18.1:1, which is 2% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Greenwood Elementary School?
74.1% of students at Greenwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Greenwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Greenwood Elementary School is African American at 55.2% of enrollment, in Bessemer, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 54.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Greenwood Elementary School?
Greenwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 45/100 (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 Greenwood Elementary School rank among public schools in Bessemer?
By Resource Investment Index, Greenwood Elementary School ranks #1 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, 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 Bessemer on the city page.
Is Greenwood Elementary School a good school?
Greenwood Elementary School earns 45/100 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 Bessemer City?
Besides Greenwood Elementary School, Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students), Bessemer City Middle School (616 students), and Jonesboro Elementary School (474 students). See the Bessemer 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.