Enrollment
567
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Madison, AL
Horizon Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Horizon Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010000800303
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 84
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Horizon Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 7
- schools in Madison · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.8:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Horizon Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 75% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 schools in Madison, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Horizon Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Horizon Elementary School
Horizon Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Madison, Alabama, enrolling 567 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.8:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 30.3% free-meal eligibility runs 48% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 567 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 177 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and African American (23%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 567 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 6.3% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Madison's public schools, it stands alongside Midtown Elementary School (1,097 students): Horizon Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.8:1 vs 19.9:1).
Madison City also operates James Clemens High School (2,159 students) and Bob Jones High School (2,048 students) alongside Horizon 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 Horizon Elementary School compares
Horizon 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 | 15.8:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 48% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 567 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.8:1
Leaner classes than 40% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
567
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
30.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% 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
15.8:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 25% in Alabama - lower ratio than 75% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
6.3%
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 567 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
26
in-school suspensions + 7 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 4.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 5.8 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 52.4%
African American 22.9%
Two or More 9.5%
Hispanic or Latino 9.0%
Asian 5.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 52.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.3, Horizon 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 Horizon 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 Horizon Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Clemens High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bob Jones High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Liberty Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Midtown Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Discovery Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Horizon 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 other schools in Madison
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Midtown Elementary School
Standard public school
1,097 students 19.9:1 students per teacher
Mill Creek Elementary School
Standard public school
965 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Rainbow Elementary School
Standard public school
725 students 13.9:1 students per teacher
Columbia Elementary School
Standard public school
701 students 15.2:1 students per teacher
Madison Elementary School
Standard public school
603 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Legacy Elementary School
Standard public school
594 students 16.5:1 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 (~567 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Horizon Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Horizon 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 Horizon Elementary School
How many students attend Horizon Elementary School?
Horizon Elementary School has 567 students enrolled. It is a public school in Madison, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Horizon Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Horizon Elementary School is 15.8:1, which is 11% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% higher 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 Horizon Elementary School?
30.3% of students at Horizon Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Horizon Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Horizon Elementary School is White at 52.4% of enrollment, in Madison, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Horizon Elementary School?
Horizon Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Horizon Elementary School rank among schools in Madison?
By Resource Investment Index, Horizon Elementary School ranks #2 of 7 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 schools in Madison on the city page.
Is Horizon Elementary School a good school?
Horizon Elementary School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 75% 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 Horizon 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.