Enrollment
494
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Ozark, AL
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School
Federal NCES profile for Joseph W Lisenby Primary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010264001085
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 1
📋 Attendance 25
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Ozark · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 62.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph W Lisenby Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Ozark, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
62.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+6% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Joseph W Lisenby Primary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Joseph W Lisenby Primary School
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Ozark, Alabama, enrolling 494 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 62.4% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 494 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 94% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 457 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #434, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (32%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 494 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 22.1% 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 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Ozark City also operates Carroll High School (640 students) and D a Smith Middle School (388 students) alongside Joseph W Lisenby Primary 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 Joseph W Lisenby Primary School compares
Joseph W Lisenby Primary 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 62.4% | ▲ 6% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 494 | top 47% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
494
Bigger than 61% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
62.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 6% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in Alabama - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
30.0%
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
$12,478
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 494 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 52 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 6.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.4 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 51.4%
White 31.6%
Hispanic or Latino 9.1%
Two or More 7.1%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 51.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.3, Joseph W Lisenby Primary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Ozark City, which includes Joseph W Lisenby Primary School.
$12,478
Per student
0%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.7%
State 56.2%
Federal 22.1%
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.
How Joseph W Lisenby Primary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| D a Smith Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Harry N Mixon Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Joseph W Lisenby Primary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 640
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 383
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
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 (~494 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Joseph W Lisenby Primary School's federal record.
- Compare Joseph W Lisenby Primary School against another school. Compare schools
- Ozark 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 Joseph W Lisenby Primary School
How many students attend Joseph W Lisenby Primary School?
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School has 494 students enrolled. It is a public school in Ozark, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Joseph W Lisenby Primary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Joseph W Lisenby Primary School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% 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 Joseph W Lisenby Primary School?
62.4% of students at Joseph W Lisenby Primary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Joseph W Lisenby Primary School?
The largest demographic group at Joseph W Lisenby Primary School is African American at 51.4% of enrollment, in Ozark, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Joseph W Lisenby Primary School?
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Joseph W Lisenby Primary School rank among public schools in Ozark?
By Resource Investment Index, Joseph W Lisenby Primary School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Ozark, 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 Ozark on the city page.
Is Joseph W Lisenby Primary School a good school?
Joseph W Lisenby Primary School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Ozark City?
Besides Joseph W Lisenby Primary School, Ozark City also operates Carroll High School (640 students), D a Smith Middle School (388 students), and Harry N Mixon Intermediate School (383 students). See the Ozark 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.