Enrollment
1,383
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Helena, AL
Helena High School
Federal NCES profile for Helena High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010303002191
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Helena High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #2 of 4
- public schools in Helena · Resource Index
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18:1
- students per teacher
- 24.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Helena High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Helena High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Helena, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
77.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
24.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-59% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Helena High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Helena High School
Helena High School is a large high school in Helena, Alabama, enrolling 1,383 students.
At 18:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 24.0% free-meal eligibility runs 59% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,383 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 49 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #19.
Its student body is led by White (70%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
13.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 9 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Chelsea High School (1,235 students) alongside Helena 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 Helena High School compares
Helena 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 24.0% | ▼ 59% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,383 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,383
Bigger than 95% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
24.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 59% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
18:1
students per teacher
- 2% above state mean
Top 60% in Alabama - lower ratio than 40% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
13.0%
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
$11,253
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 461 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
96
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 9 expulsions.
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 69.5%
African American 16.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.2%
Two or More 2.7%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 69.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 48.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 48.0, Helena High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Helena High School.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Helena High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Helena Middle | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Helena High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,235
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,168
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 957
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
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 (~1,383 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Helena High School's federal record.
- Compare Helena High School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby 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 Helena High School
How many students attend Helena High School?
Helena High School has 1,383 students enrolled. It is a high school in Helena, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Helena High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Helena High School is 18:1, 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 Helena High School?
24.0% of students at Helena High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Helena High School?
The largest demographic group at Helena High School is White at 69.5% of enrollment, in Helena, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Helena High School?
Helena High School has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (higher 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 Helena High School rank among public schools in Helena?
By Resource Investment Index, Helena High School ranks #2 of 4 public schools in Helena, 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 Helena on the city page.
Is Helena High School a good school?
Helena High School earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Shelby County?
Besides Helena High School, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Chelsea High School (1,235 students), and Oak Mountain Middle School (1,168 students). See the Shelby 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.