Enrollment
704
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Alexander City, AL
Jim Pearson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Jim Pearson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010003000004
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 30
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Jim Pearson Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Alexander City · Resource Index
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.4:1
- students per teacher
- 44.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Jim Pearson Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Jim Pearson Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Alexander City, AL.
School address
District: Alexander City · Alabama
NCES ID 010003000004 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
43.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
44.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Jim Pearson Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Jim Pearson Elementary School
Jim Pearson Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Alexander City, Alabama, enrolling 704 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.4:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 44.4% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 704 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 346 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #177.
Its student body is led by African American (44%) and White (40%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 64/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 352 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 21.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Alexander City also operates Benjamin Russell High School (852 students) and Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School (436 students) alongside Jim Pearson Elementary 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 Jim Pearson Elementary School compares
Jim Pearson Elementary 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 | 16.4:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 44.4% | ▼ 24% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 704 | top 21% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.4:1
Leaner classes than 35% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
704
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
44.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.4:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 33% in Alabama - lower ratio than 67% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,566
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 352 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 46 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.5 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 43.5%
White 40.2%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Two or More 6.4%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: African American at 43.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.7, Jim Pearson Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alexander City, which includes Jim Pearson Elementary School.
$12,566
Per student
+1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 28.6%
State 50.2%
Federal 21.2%
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 Jim Pearson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Russell High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Alexander City Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| William L Radney Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Jim Pearson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 852
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 436
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 430
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 414
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
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 (~704 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Jim Pearson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Jim Pearson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Alexander 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 Jim Pearson Elementary School
How many students attend Jim Pearson Elementary School?
Jim Pearson Elementary School has 704 students enrolled. It is a public school in Alexander City, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Jim Pearson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Jim Pearson Elementary School is 16.4:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% higher 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 Jim Pearson Elementary School?
44.4% of students at Jim Pearson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Jim Pearson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Jim Pearson Elementary School is African American at 43.5% of enrollment, in Alexander City, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Jim Pearson Elementary School?
Jim Pearson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (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 Jim Pearson Elementary School rank among public schools in Alexander City?
By Resource Investment Index, Jim Pearson Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Alexander City, 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 Alexander City on the city page.
Is Jim Pearson Elementary School a good school?
Jim Pearson Elementary School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more 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 Alexander City?
Besides Jim Pearson Elementary School, Alexander City also operates Benjamin Russell High School (852 students), Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School (436 students), and Alexander City Middle School (430 students). See the Alexander 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.