Enrollment
869
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Madison, AL
Heritage Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Heritage 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 010000801423
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Heritage Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #9 of 12
- public schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 45
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 18.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Heritage Elementary School has class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Madison, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
46.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Heritage Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Heritage Elementary School
Heritage Elementary School is a lower-poverty, large elementary school in Madison, Alabama, enrolling 869 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.8% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 869 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 83 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #27.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (19%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 66/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 579 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Madison City also operates James Clemens High School (2,159 students) and Bob Jones High School (2,048 students) alongside Heritage 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 Heritage Elementary School compares
Heritage 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 | 18.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.8% | ▼ 68% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 869 | top 11% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
869
Bigger than 88% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 72% in Alabama - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
5.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,744
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 579 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.0 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 52.2%
African American 19.0%
Asian 12.5%
Hispanic or Latino 8.3%
Two or More 7.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 52.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.4, Heritage 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 Madison City, which includes Heritage Elementary School.
$10,744
Per student
-14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 44.2%
State 47.9%
Federal 7.9%
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 Heritage Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Clemens High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bob Jones High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Midtown Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Discovery Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Heritage Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,159
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,048
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 1,103
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,097
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,054
- Students per teacher
- 13.2:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
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 (~869 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Heritage Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Heritage Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison 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 Heritage Elementary School
How many students attend Heritage Elementary School?
Heritage Elementary School has 869 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Madison, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Heritage Elementary School is 18.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Heritage Elementary School?
18.8% of students at Heritage Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Heritage Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Heritage Elementary School is White at 52.2% of enrollment, in Madison, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Heritage Elementary School?
Heritage 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 Heritage Elementary School rank among public schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Heritage Elementary School ranks #9 of 12 public schools in Madison, 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 Madison on the city page.
Is Heritage Elementary School a good school?
Heritage Elementary School earns 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Madison City?
Besides Heritage Elementary School, Madison City also operates James Clemens High School (2,159 students), Bob Jones High School (2,048 students), and Liberty Middle School (1,103 students). See the Madison 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.