Enrollment
389
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dothan, AL
Heard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Heard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010123000450
👥 S:T ratio 18
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 22
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heard Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 11
- elementary schools in Dothan · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.5:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 68.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Heard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 86% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heard Elementary School ranks #1 of 11 elementary schools in Dothan, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+16% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heard Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heard Elementary School
Heard Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Dothan, Alabama, enrolling 389 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.5:1 is larger than about 86% of Alabama schools and 16% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 389 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 382 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by African American (54%) and White (30%) (diversity index 61/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 389 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
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): Heard Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.5:1 vs 19.1:1).
Dothan City also operates Dothan High School (1,588 students) and Dothan Preparatory Academy (1,034 students) alongside Heard 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 Heard Elementary School compares
Heard 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 | 20.5:1 | ▲ 16% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.3% | ▲ 16% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 389 | top 66% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.5:1
Leaner classes than 14% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
389
Bigger than 46% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 16% 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
20.5:1
students per teacher
- 16% above state mean
Top 86% in Alabama - lower ratio than 14% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
9.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 389 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 26 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.5 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 53.7%
White 29.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Two or More 4.4%
Asian 2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 53.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 61.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 61.2, Heard 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 Dothan City, which includes Heard Elementary 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 Heard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Dothan Preparatory Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Carver 9th Grade Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Kelly Springs Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Highlands Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heard Elementary 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 (~389 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~20.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Heard Elementary 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 Heard Elementary School
How many students attend Heard Elementary School?
Heard Elementary School has 389 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dothan, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Heard Elementary School is 20.5:1, which is 16% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 31% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Heard Elementary School?
68.3% of students at Heard Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Heard Elementary School is African American at 53.7% of enrollment, in Dothan, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 61.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heard Elementary School?
Heard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Heard Elementary School rank among elementary schools in Dothan?
By Resource Investment Index, Heard Elementary School ranks #1 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 Heard Elementary School a good school?
Heard Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 86% 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 Heard Elementary 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.