Enrollment
45
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mobile, AL
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind
Federal NCES profile for Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010237001689
👥 S:T ratio 78
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 91
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #2 of 34
- schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 5.6:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 41.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind has class sizes smaller than 99% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind ranks #2 of 34 schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
5.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-68% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.5%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-29% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is a small combined-grade school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 45 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 5.6:1, Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is leaner than roughly 99% of Alabama schools and 68% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.5% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 99% of Alabama schools, with 45 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Its student body is led by African American (42%) and White (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 45 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mobile's public schools, it stands alongside Er Dickson Elementary School (967 students): Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (5.6:1 vs 19:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind.
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 Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind compares
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 5.6:1 | ▼ 68% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.5% | ▼ 29% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 45 | top 99% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
5.6:1
Leaner classes than 98% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
45
Bigger than 5% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 29% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
5.6:1
students per teacher
- 68% below state mean
Top 1% in Alabama - lower ratio than 100% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
40.0%
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
$12,163
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 45 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.4 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 42.2%
White 40.0%
Hispanic or Latino 13.3%
Two or More 4.4%
Largest group: African American at 42.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 64.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 64.2, Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
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 Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Mobile
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Er Dickson Elementary School
Standard public school
967 students 19:1 students per teacher
Lillie B Williamson High School
Standard public school
889 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Olive J Dodge Elementary School
Standard public school
862 students 18:1 students per teacher
Dr Robert W Gilliard Elementary
Standard public school
806 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Orourke Elementary School
Standard public school
799 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Elsie Collier Elementary School
Standard public school
731 students 17:1 students per teacher
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 (~45 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~5.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind's federal record.
- Compare Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile 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 Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind
How many students attend Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind?
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind has 45 students enrolled. It is a special-education school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind?
The student-teacher ratio at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is 5.6:1, which is 68% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 64% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind?
41.5% of students at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind?
The largest demographic group at Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is African American at 42.2% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 64.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind?
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher 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 Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind rank among schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind ranks #2 of 34 schools in Mobile, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mobile on the city page.
Is Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind a good school?
Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 99% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Mobile County?
Besides Hl Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile 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.