Enrollment
507
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Blountsville, AL
Jb Pennington High School
Federal NCES profile for Jb Pennington High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010042000209
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 73
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jb Pennington High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 4
- schools in Blountsville · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 58.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Jb Pennington High School has class sizes larger than 71% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jb Pennington High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Blountsville, AL.
School address
District: Blount County · Alabama
NCES ID 010042000209 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
58.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+0% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jb Pennington High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jb Pennington High School
Jb Pennington High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Blountsville, Alabama, enrolling 507 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 58.8% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 507 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 464 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #31, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 338 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
11.0% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 11 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Blountsville's public schools, it stands alongside Blountsville Elementary School (648 students): Jb Pennington High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18.8:1 vs 19.1:1).
Blount County also operates Southeastern School (822 students) and Hayden High School (798 students) alongside Jb Pennington 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 Jb Pennington High School compares
Jb Pennington 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 58.8% | ▼ 0% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 507 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
507
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 71% in Alabama - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
11.0%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$10,779
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 338 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
49
in-school suspensions + 50 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 19.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 11 expulsions.
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 73.4%
Hispanic or Latino 24.7%
Two or More 0.8%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.0, Jb Pennington High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Blount County, which includes Jb Pennington High School.
$10,779
Per student
-14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.4%
State 63.4%
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 Jb Pennington High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hayden High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Appalachian School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Blountsville Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Susan Moore Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jb Pennington High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 822
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 798
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
- Enrollment
- 699
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 648
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 582
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Blountsville
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~507 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jb Pennington High School's federal record.
- Compare Jb Pennington High School against another school. Compare schools
- Blount 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 Jb Pennington High School
How many students attend Jb Pennington High School?
Jb Pennington High School has 507 students enrolled. It is a public school in Blountsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jb Pennington High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jb Pennington High School is 18.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Jb Pennington High School?
58.8% of students at Jb Pennington High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jb Pennington High School?
The largest demographic group at Jb Pennington High School is White at 73.4% of enrollment, in Blountsville, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jb Pennington High School?
Jb Pennington High School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Jb Pennington High School rank among schools in Blountsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Jb Pennington High School ranks #2 of 4 schools in Blountsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Blountsville on the city page.
Is Jb Pennington High School a good school?
Jb Pennington High School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Blount County?
Besides Jb Pennington High School, Blount County also operates Southeastern School (822 students), Hayden High School (798 students), and Appalachian School (699 students). See the Blount 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.