Enrollment
576
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mobile, AL
Kate Shepard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Kate Shepard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 32/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010237000956
👥 S:T ratio 23
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 33
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Kate Shepard Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools.
- #17 of 34
- schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 32
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.2:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 70.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Kate Shepard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 76% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Shepard Elementary School ranks #17 of 34 schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
30.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.2:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Kate Shepard Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Kate Shepard Elementary School
Kate Shepard Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 576 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.2:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 576 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 399 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #266.
Its student body is led by African American (65%) and White (19%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 576 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.7% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mobile's public schools, it stands alongside Er Dickson Elementary School (967 students): Kate Shepard Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.2:1 vs 19:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Kate Shepard 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 Shepard Elementary School compares
Kate Shepard 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 | 19.2:1 | ▲ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.0% | ▲ 19% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 576 | top 34% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.2:1
Leaner classes than 19% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
576
Bigger than 70% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
19.2:1
students per teacher
- 8% above state mean
Top 76% in Alabama - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.7%
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
$12,163
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 576 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
34
in-school suspensions + 39 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.7 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 64.9%
White 18.8%
Two or More 7.8%
Hispanic or Latino 7.3%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 64.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.2, Kate Shepard Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Kate Shepard Elementary School.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
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 Kate Shepard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Kate Shepard Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar other schools in Mobile
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Er Dickson Elementary School
Standard public school
967 students 19:1 students per teacher
Lillie B Williamson High School
Standard public school
889 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Olive J Dodge Elementary School
Standard public school
862 students 18:1 students per teacher
Dr Robert W Gilliard Elementary
Standard public school
806 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Orourke Elementary School
Standard public school
799 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Elsie Collier Elementary School
Standard public school
731 students 17:1 students per teacher
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 (~576 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Kate Shepard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Kate Shepard Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile 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 Shepard Elementary School
How many students attend Kate Shepard Elementary School?
Kate Shepard Elementary School has 576 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Kate Shepard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Kate Shepard Elementary School is 19.2:1, which is 8% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 22% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Kate Shepard Elementary School?
70.0% of students at Kate Shepard Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Kate Shepard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Kate Shepard Elementary School is African American at 64.9% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Kate Shepard Elementary School?
Kate Shepard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 32/100 (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 Shepard Elementary School rank among schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Kate Shepard Elementary School ranks #17 of 34 schools in Mobile, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Mobile on the city page.
Is Kate Shepard Elementary School a good school?
Kate Shepard Elementary School earns 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% 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 Mobile County?
Besides Kate Shepard Elementary School, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile 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.