Enrollment
356
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Muscle Shoals, AL
Howell Graves Preschool
Federal NCES profile for Howell Graves Preschool, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010252001800
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Howell Graves Preschool earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Muscle Shoals · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 30.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Howell Graves Preschool has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Howell Graves Preschool ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, AL.
School address
District: Muscle Shoals City · Alabama
NCES ID 010252001800 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
30.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Howell Graves Preschool compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Howell Graves Preschool
Howell Graves Preschool is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, enrolling 356 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger 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 356 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 88 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #81, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (67%) and African American (15%) (diversity index 52/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 712 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students) and Mcbride Elementary School (647 students) alongside Howell Graves Preschool.
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 Howell Graves Preschool compares
Howell Graves Preschool on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 30.3% | ▼ 48% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 356 | top 72% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
356
Bigger than 41% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,914
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
Counselors0.5 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 66.9%
African American 14.9%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 3.7%
Largest group: White at 66.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 51.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 51.8, Howell Graves Preschool is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Muscle Shoals City, which includes Howell Graves Preschool.
$11,914
Per student
-5%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-28%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.9%
State 53.6%
Federal 11.5%
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 Howell Graves Preschool Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle Shoals High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mcbride Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| Muscle Shoals Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Highland Park Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Webster Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Howell Graves Preschool's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 864
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 647
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 642
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 234
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
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 (~356 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Howell Graves Preschool's federal record.
- Compare Howell Graves Preschool against another school. Compare schools
- Muscle Shoals 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 Howell Graves Preschool
How many students attend Howell Graves Preschool?
Howell Graves Preschool has 356 students enrolled. It is a public school in Muscle Shoals, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Howell Graves Preschool?
The student-teacher ratio at Howell Graves Preschool is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Howell Graves Preschool?
30.3% of students at Howell Graves Preschool are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Howell Graves Preschool?
The largest demographic group at Howell Graves Preschool is White at 66.9% of enrollment, in Muscle Shoals, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 51.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Howell Graves Preschool?
Howell Graves Preschool has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Howell Graves Preschool rank among public schools in Muscle Shoals?
By Resource Investment Index, Howell Graves Preschool ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Muscle Shoals, 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 Muscle Shoals on the city page.
Is Howell Graves Preschool a good school?
Howell Graves Preschool earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Muscle Shoals City?
Besides Howell Graves Preschool, Muscle Shoals City also operates Muscle Shoals High School (864 students), Mcbride Elementary School (647 students), and Muscle Shoals Middle School (642 students). See the Muscle Shoals 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.