Enrollment
1,230
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Gulf Shores, AL
Gulf Shores Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Gulf Shores Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010020202469
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Gulf Shores Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Gulf Shores · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 39.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Gulf Shores Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Shores Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Gulf Shores, AL.
School address
District: Gulf Shores City · Alabama
NCES ID 010020202469 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
62.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
39.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-33% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Gulf Shores Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Gulf Shores Elementary School
Gulf Shores Elementary School is a large combined-grade school in Gulf Shores, Alabama, enrolling 1,230 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 39.4% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,230 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 107 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #43.
Its student body is led by White (79%) and Hispanic or Latino (8%) (diversity index 36/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 615 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Gulf Shores City also operates Gulf Shores High School (927 students) and Gulf Shores Middle School (591 students) alongside Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores Elementary School compares
Gulf Shores 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 39.4% | ▼ 33% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,230 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,230
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
39.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 33% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$11,463
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 615 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
58
in-school suspensions + 54 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.1 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 78.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.8%
Two or More 6.6%
African American 5.2%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 78.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 36.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 36.4, Gulf Shores Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Gulf Shores City, which includes Gulf Shores Elementary School.
$11,463
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 64.4%
State 24.7%
Federal 10.9%
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 Gulf Shores Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Shores High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Gulf Shores Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Gulf Shores Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 927
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 591
- Students per teacher
- 21.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other 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 (~1,230 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Gulf Shores Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Gulf Shores Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Gulf Shores 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 Gulf Shores Elementary School
How many students attend Gulf Shores Elementary School?
Gulf Shores Elementary School has 1,230 students enrolled. It is a public school in Gulf Shores, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Gulf Shores Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Gulf Shores Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Gulf Shores Elementary School?
39.4% of students at Gulf Shores Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Gulf Shores Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Gulf Shores Elementary School is White at 78.9% of enrollment, in Gulf Shores, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Gulf Shores Elementary School?
Gulf Shores Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (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 Gulf Shores Elementary School rank among public schools in Gulf Shores?
By Resource Investment Index, Gulf Shores Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Gulf Shores, 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 Gulf Shores on the city page.
Is Gulf Shores Elementary School a good school?
Gulf Shores Elementary School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Gulf Shores City?
Besides Gulf Shores Elementary School, Gulf Shores City also operates Gulf Shores High School (927 students) and Gulf Shores Middle School (591 students). See the Gulf Shores 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.