Enrollment
411
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 010020402476 Charter school
I3 Academy Phase 1 — Birmingham, AL
Federal NCES profile for I3 Academy Phase 1, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 29/100.
👥 Class size 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 28
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →
School address
District: I3 Academy · Alabama
Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.
Teachers (FTE)
16.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
26.1:1
vs 17.8:1 Alabama avg
+47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How I3 Academy Phase 1 compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula.
PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.
What this school's NCES data tells you
I3 Academy Phase 1 reports 411 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 16.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 26.1:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 47% above the Alabama state mean of 17.8:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 64% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.
Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 58.8% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 0% above the Alabama average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 411 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 28.7% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
On the finance side, the surrounding I3 Academy spends $20,186 per pupil district-wide, above the Alabama average of $14,500 and above the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 27.9% from local sources (property taxes), 52.0% from the state, and 20.1% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How I3 Academy Phase 1 compares
Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alabama state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 26.1:1 | ▲ 47% | 17.8:1 | 15.9:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▼ 0% | 58.8% | 51.8% |
| Enrollment | 411 | top 39% | — | — |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
What the federal data reveals about equity at this school
Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.
Economic need
58.8%
free-lunch eligible
— 0% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold — federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
26.1:1
students per teacher
— 47% above state mean
Top 99% in Alabama — lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
28.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$20,186
per pupil, district-wide
— above Alabama avg of $14,500
Above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 411 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
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
Enrollment 411 Top 39% in Alabama — larger than 61% of 1,369 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 16.0
Students per teacher 26.1:1 +47% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 58.8% +0% vs state
NCES ID 010020402476
Student demographics
African American 83.7%
White 7.1%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%
Two or More 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 83.7% of enrollment.
Programs & staff
Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 411:1
Discipline & special education
Chronically absent 28.7%
In-school suspensions 0
Out-of-school suspensions 0
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for I3 Academy, which includes I3 Academy Phase 1.
$20,186
Per student
+39%
vs Alabama
Avg $14,500
+4%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 27.9%
State 52.0%
Federal 20.1%
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.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 400
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
Similar elementary schools in Birmingham
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Educator & family resources
In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.
Understanding NCES data
How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.
Choose a school district
Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.
How schools are funded
Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.
Chronic absenteeism
Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.
Magnet vs charter vs traditional
Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.
School discipline data
What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.
Frequently asked questions about I3 Academy Phase 1
How many students attend I3 Academy Phase 1?
I3 Academy Phase 1 has 411 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Birmingham, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at I3 Academy Phase 1?
The student-teacher ratio at I3 Academy Phase 1 is 26.1:1, which is 47% higher than the Alabama average of 17.8:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at I3 Academy Phase 1?
58.8% of students at I3 Academy Phase 1 are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of I3 Academy Phase 1?
The largest demographic group at I3 Academy Phase 1 is African American at 83.7%. The school serves a diverse student body in Birmingham, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for I3 Academy Phase 1?
I3 Academy Phase 1 has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (F) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.