Enrollment
546
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Grant, AL
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010000601685
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 57
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Grant · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 37.4%
- free-lunch eligible
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Grant, AL.
School address
District: Marshall County · Alabama
NCES ID 010000601685 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.4%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Grant, Alabama, enrolling 546 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.2:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 37.4% free-meal eligibility runs 36% below the Alabama average.
With 546 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 270 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #96.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 17/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 546 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
17.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 27.6% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Marshall County also operates Asbury Elementary School (729 students) and Douglas High School (727 students) alongside Kate D Smith Dar 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 Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School compares
Kate D Smith Dar 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 | 15.2:1 | ▼ 14% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.4% | ▼ 36% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 546 | top 37% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
546
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.4%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 14% below state mean
Top 19% in Alabama - lower ratio than 81% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
17.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,202
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 546 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
16
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.8 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
White 91.2%
Hispanic or Latino 5.3%
Two or More 1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%
Asian 0.5%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: White at 91.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.5, Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Marshall County, which includes Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School.
$12,202
Per student
-2%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.3%
State 51.2%
Federal 27.6%
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 Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbury Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Asbury High School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Robert D Sloman Primary | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Douglas Elementary School | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 19.2:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 21.4:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 659
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 613
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 521
- Students per teacher
- 20.8:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
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 (~546 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Marshall 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 Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School
How many students attend Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School?
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School has 546 students enrolled. It is a public school in Grant, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School is 15.2:1, which is 14% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 3% lower 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 Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School?
37.4% of students at Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School is White at 91.2% of enrollment, in Grant, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School?
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (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 Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School rank among public schools in Grant?
By Resource Investment Index, Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Grant, 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 Grant on the city page.
Is Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School a good school?
Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 81% of Alabama schools. It is also less 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 Marshall County?
Besides Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School, Marshall County also operates Asbury Elementary School (729 students), Douglas High School (727 students), and Asbury High School (659 students). See the Marshall 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.