Enrollment
447
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Huntsville, AL
James Dawson Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James Dawson Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010180000650
👥 S:T ratio 6
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 11
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James Dawson Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% of Alabama schools.
- #27 of 29
- schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 23.5:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 81.9%
- free-lunch eligible
James Dawson Elementary has class sizes larger than 96% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James Dawson Elementary ranks #27 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180000650 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
23.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+33% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James Dawson Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at James Dawson Elementary
James Dawson Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 447 students.
Class loads run heavy: 23.5:1 is larger than about 96% of Alabama schools and 33% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need is high: 81.9% of students qualify for free meals, 39% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 447 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 285 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #222, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (70%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 447 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Huntsville's public schools, it stands alongside Providence Elementary (1,152 students): James Dawson Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (23.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside James Dawson Elementary.
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 James Dawson Elementary compares
James Dawson Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 23.5:1 | ▲ 33% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.9% | ▲ 39% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 447 | top 56% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
23.5:1
Leaner classes than 7% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
447
Bigger than 54% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
23.5:1
students per teacher
- 33% above state mean
Top 96% in Alabama - lower ratio than 4% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$12,033
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 447 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
29
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 16.8 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
African American 69.6%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
White 5.8%
Two or More 4.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.9%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 69.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.8, James Dawson Elementary is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes James Dawson Elementary.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 James Dawson Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James Dawson Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Huntsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
1,152 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Mt Carmel Elementary School
Standard public school
638 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Central School
Standard public school
610 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Monrovia Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Blossomwood Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Riverton Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 19.2:1 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 (~447 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James Dawson Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James Dawson Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville 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 James Dawson Elementary
How many students attend James Dawson Elementary?
James Dawson Elementary has 447 students enrolled. It is a public school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James Dawson Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James Dawson Elementary is 23.5:1, which is 33% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 50% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James Dawson Elementary?
81.9% of students at James Dawson Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James Dawson Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James Dawson Elementary is African American at 69.6% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James Dawson Elementary?
James Dawson Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 James Dawson Elementary rank among schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, James Dawson Elementary ranks #27 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is James Dawson Elementary a good school?
James Dawson Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 96% 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 Huntsville City?
Besides James Dawson Elementary, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville 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.