2024-25 NCES data Other / mixed grade configuration NCES 010117001728

Julian Harris Elementary School — Decatur, AL

Federal NCES profile for Julian Harris Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 46/100.

Compare schools View district
0/100100/10046/100
👥 Class size
31
🌟 Gifted program
70
🎓 Counselors
30
📋 Attendance
53
How this works: Each indicator above is scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC data, then averaged into the Resource Investment Index. This measures resource allocation — staffing, programs, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes. Full methodology →

The verdict

Julian Harris Elementary School earns a D Resource Investment Index (46/100), with class sizes near the Alabama median.

D
Resource Index · 46/100
17.3:1
students per teacher
59.1%
free-lunch eligible
349
students enrolled

School address

Decatur, AL 35603
District: Decatur City · Alabama

Public location data per NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) Common Core of Data. Verify the school's current address on the NCES CCD record.

Enrollment

349

Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

21.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

17.3:1

vs 17.8:1 Alabama avg

-3% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

59.1%

vs 58.8% Alabama avg

+1% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Julian Harris Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians

At or below state median
0:135:117.3:1

Source: NCES Common Core of Data As of 2024-25 federal staff survey Total enrollment ÷ full-time-equivalent classroom teachers

The federal record — no proprietary index, no editorial formula. PlainSchools publishes the actual federal measurements — enrollment, staffing, demographics, discipline, and finance — straight from the NCES Common Core of Data, CRDC, and F-33 surveys. No composite rating, no opinion-based score on top. You get the same raw numbers researchers and policymakers use, with benchmarks, spending context, and equity indicators computed from the same federal datasets. Full methodology linked below.

What this school's NCES data tells you

Julian Harris Elementary School reports 349 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 21.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 17.3:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 3% below the Alabama state mean of 17.8:1, signalling more teacher attention per pupil than the state benchmark. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.7:1, it is 10% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 59.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 1% above the Alabama average and 14% above the national baseline. Counselor coverage works out to roughly 349 students per counselor, above the ASCA-recommended ceiling of 250:1. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 18.9% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Decatur City spends $13,764 per pupil district-wide, above the Alabama average of $12,491 and below the national average of $16,593. Revenue comes 39.5% from local sources (property taxes), 47.0% from the state, and 13.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D), calculated from 4 distinct NCES and CRDC indicators measuring resource allocation rather than academic outcomes.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25

How Julian Harris Elementary School compares

Cross-validating school-level NCES values against Alabama state and U.S. national means lets readers see whether this school is an outlier or in line with peers.

Metric This school vs Alabama Alabama avg U.S. avg
Students per teacher 17.3:1 ▼ 3% 17.8:1 15.7:1
Free-lunch eligible 59.1% ▲ 1% 58.8% 51.8%
Enrollment 349 top 27% — —

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25

Class size vs. every US school

Students per teacher (lower means more individual attention)

17 smaller classes than 29% of 92,598 US schools

0–2: 295 US schools (0%). Below this entry. 2–4: 597 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 4–6: 1,033 US schools (1%). Below this entry. 6–8: 1,939 US schools (2%). Below this entry. 8–10: 4,805 US schools (5%). Below this entry. 10–12: 11,082 US schools (12%). Below this entry. 12–14: 16,971 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 14–16: 18,959 US schools (20%). Below this entry. 16–18: 13,660 US schools (15%). This entry sits in this band. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Above this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Above this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 26–28: 1,131 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 28–30: 504 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 30–32: 307 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 32–34: 189 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 34–36: 141 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 36–38: 93 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 38–40: 94 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 40–42: 59 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 42–44: 46 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 44–46: 56 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 46–48: 58 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 48–50: 34 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 50–52: 37 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 52–54: 30 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 54–56: 15 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 56–58: 25 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 58–60: 20 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 60 every US school, by class size, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

School size vs. every US school

Total enrollment — where this school sits by size (neither large nor small is 'better')

349 larger than 40% of 95,891 US schools

0–150: 14,035 US schools (15%). Below this entry. 150–300: 16,928 US schools (18%). Below this entry. 300–450: 21,633 US schools (23%). This entry sits in this band. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). Above this entry. 600–750: 10,042 US schools (10%). Above this entry. 750–900: 5,568 US schools (6%). Above this entry. 900–1,050: 3,006 US schools (3%). Above this entry. 1,050–1,200: 1,826 US schools (2%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,350: 1,220 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,350–1,500: 908 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,650: 692 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,650–1,800: 607 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,950: 502 US schools (1%). Above this entry. 1,950–2,100: 432 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,100–2,250: 346 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,250–2,400: 252 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,400–2,550: 203 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,550–2,700: 163 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,700–2,850: 115 US schools (0%). Above this entry. 2,850–3,000: 85 US schools (0%). Above this entry. This school 0 3,000 every US school, by enrollment, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US schools. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education — NCES Common Core of Data · 2024-25

What the federal data reveals about equity at this school

Federal measurements — not ratings — surface the resource and opportunity picture. Below are the indicators that researchers, civil-rights monitors, and funding formulas use to assess equity.

Economic need
59.1%
free-lunch eligible — 1% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher — 3% below state mean
Top 44% in Alabama — lower ratio than 56% of state schools
Between 15:1 and 20:1 — in line with the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Between 10–20% — above the pre-pandemic baseline of ~15% nationally but within the current U.S. range.
Funding equity
$13,764
per pupil, district-wide — above Alabama avg of $12,491
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 349 students — the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.

Overview

Enrollment 349 Top 27% in Alabama — larger than 73% of 1,369 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 21.0
Students per teacher 17.3:1 -3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 59.1% +1% vs state
NCES ID 010117001728

Student demographics

White 38.4%
African American 37.8%
Two or More 10.3%
Hispanic or Latino 9.5%
Asian 3.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%

Largest group: White at 38.4% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Gifted & talented Yes
Counselors (FTE) 1.0
Students per counselor 349:1

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 18.9%
In-school suspensions 32
Out-of-school suspensions 0

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Decatur City, which includes Julian Harris Elementary School.

$13,764
Per student
+10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.5%
State 47.0%
Federal 13.5%

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.

Other Schools in This District

Decatur City · 5 sibling schools

View district profile

Similar other schools in Decatur

6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.

Austin Junior High School
Standard public school
664 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Oak Park Elementary School
Standard public school
481 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Bankscaddell Elementary School
Standard public school
477 students 18.9:1 students per teacher
Austinville Elementary School
Standard public school
463 students 16.6:1 students per teacher
Chestnut Grove Elementary School
Standard public school
436 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Frances Nungester Elementary School
Standard public school
428 students 16.3:1 students per teacher

Educator & family resources

In-depth guides on understanding NCES data, school choice, and education funding.

Understanding NCES data

How CCD, CRDC and EDFacts feed every public-school number you see.

Choose a school district

Eight signals that matter more than the overall ranking number.

How schools are funded

Title I, F-33, state aid formulas and what per-pupil spending really means.

Chronic absenteeism

Why missing 10% of school matters and how it varies by district.

Magnet vs charter vs traditional

Three school types, three funding models, three sets of trade-offs.

School discipline data

What CRDC suspension and expulsion records do and don't reveal.

Frequently asked questions about Julian Harris Elementary School

How many students attend Julian Harris Elementary School?

Julian Harris Elementary School has 349 students enrolled. It is a other school in Decatur, AL.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Julian Harris Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Julian Harris Elementary School is 17.3:1, which is 3% lower than the Alabama average of 17.8:1 and 10% 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 Julian Harris Elementary School?

59.1% of students at Julian Harris Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Julian Harris Elementary School?

The largest demographic group at Julian Harris Elementary School is White at 38.4%. The school serves a diverse student body in Decatur, AL.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Julian Harris Elementary School?

Julian Harris Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (D) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

Is Julian Harris Elementary School a good school?

Julian Harris Elementary School earns a D Resource Investment Index (46/100), with class sizes near the Alabama median. The Resource Investment Index reflects staffing, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance reported to NCES, not test scores or academic outcomes, so treat it as a resource snapshot rather than an overall rating.

Related tools

Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in Alabama
All public schools in Alabama
Decatur City
All schools in this district
Schools in Decatur
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type

Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) CCD + Public School Universe (2024-25), CRDC (2021-22), F-33 District Finance Survey (FY 2021-22) · 2024-25 Data as of the 2024-25 school year. Coverage from U.S. Department of Education NCES Common Core of Data. Varies by entity type — administrative districts and certain charter networks may report only a subset of fields.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) — universe of U.S. public schools and districts. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) — discipline, absenteeism, and AP-course participation. ocrdata.ed.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey — per-pupil expenditure and revenue sources. nces.ed.gov/ccd/f33agency
  • USDA National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility. fns.usda.gov/nslp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS — demographic and socioeconomic context for school catchment areas. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • U.S. Department of Education ESSA Title I — federal Title I program participation. ed.gov