Enrollment
179
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Beatrice, AL
J F Shields High School
Federal NCES profile for J F Shields High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010240000979
👥 S:T ratio 52
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 64
📋 Attendance 37
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
J F Shields High School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 11.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 89.8%
- free-lunch eligible
- 179
- students enrolled
J F Shields High School has class sizes smaller than 98% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Monroe County · Alabama
NCES ID 010240000979 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
15.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
11.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
89.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+53% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How J F Shields High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at J F Shields High School
J F Shields High School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Beatrice, Alabama, enrolling 179 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 11.9:1, J F Shields High School is leaner than roughly 98% of Alabama schools and 33% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 89.8% of students qualify for free meals, 53% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 94% of Alabama schools, with 179 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 62 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (97% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 6/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 179 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 21.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Monroe County also operates Excel High School (1,010 students) and J U Blacksher School (747 students) alongside J F Shields High 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 J F Shields High School compares
J F Shields High 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 | 11.9:1 | ▼ 33% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 89.8% | ▲ 53% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 179 | top 94% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
11.9:1
Leaner classes than 76% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
179
Bigger than 17% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
89.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 53% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
11.9:1
students per teacher
- 33% below state mean
Top 2% in Alabama - lower ratio than 98% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
25.1%
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
$12,660
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 179 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 16 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.9 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 97.2%
White 1.7%
Hispanic or Latino 1.1%
Largest group: African American at 97.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 5.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 5.5, J F Shields High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Monroe County, which includes J F Shields High School.
$12,660
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.1%
State 58.3%
Federal 21.6%
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 J F Shields High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| J U Blacksher School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monroeville Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monroe County High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monroeville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to J F Shields High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,010
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 747
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 406
- Students per teacher
- 14.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 302
- Students per teacher
- 13.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 264
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~179 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on J F Shields High School's federal record.
- Compare J F Shields High School against another school. Compare schools
- Monroe 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 J F Shields High School
How many students attend J F Shields High School?
J F Shields High School has 179 students enrolled. It is a public school in Beatrice, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at J F Shields High School?
The student-teacher ratio at J F Shields High School is 11.9:1, which is 33% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 24% 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 J F Shields High School?
89.8% of students at J F Shields High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of J F Shields High School?
The largest demographic group at J F Shields High School is African American at 97.2% of enrollment, in Beatrice, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for J F Shields High School?
J F Shields High School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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).
Is J F Shields High School a good school?
J F Shields High School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 98% of Alabama schools. It is also less 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 Monroe County?
Besides J F Shields High School, Monroe County also operates Excel High School (1,010 students), J U Blacksher School (747 students), and Monroeville Elementary School (406 students). See the Monroe 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.