Enrollment
355
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Leighton, AL
Leighton Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Leighton Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010084000338
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 35
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Leighton Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 3
- schools in Leighton · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.8:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 43.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Leighton Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Leighton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Leighton, AL.
School address
District: Colbert County · Alabama
NCES ID 010084000338 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
24.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Leighton Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Leighton Elementary School
Leighton Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Leighton, Alabama, enrolling 355 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.8:1, Leighton Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Alabama schools and 16% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 355 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 215 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #86.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 58/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 355 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 25.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 18.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Leighton's public schools, it stands alongside Colbert County High School (438 students): Leighton Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 15.6:1).
Colbert County also operates Colbert Heights Elementary School (486 students) and Colbert Heights High School (467 students) alongside Leighton 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 Leighton Elementary School compares
Leighton 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.7% | ▼ 26% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 355 | top 73% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
355
Bigger than 40% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 15% in Alabama - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
25.9%
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
$13,961
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 355 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
33
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 9.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.0 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 60.8%
African American 17.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.7%
Two or More 9.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.6%
Largest group: White at 60.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.9, Leighton 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 Colbert County, which includes Leighton Elementary School.
$13,961
Per student
+12%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 47.3%
Federal 18.0%
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 Leighton Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colbert Heights Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colbert Heights High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Colbert County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hatton Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Cherokee Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Leighton Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 486
- Students per teacher
- 16.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 467
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 438
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 236
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 226
- Students per teacher
- 11.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
Similar other schools in Leighton
2 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~355 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Leighton Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Leighton Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Colbert 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 Leighton Elementary School
How many students attend Leighton Elementary School?
Leighton Elementary School has 355 students enrolled. It is a public school in Leighton, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Leighton Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Leighton Elementary School is 14.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 6% 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 Leighton Elementary School?
43.7% of students at Leighton Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Leighton Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Leighton Elementary School is White at 60.8% of enrollment, in Leighton, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Leighton Elementary School?
Leighton Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Leighton Elementary School rank among schools in Leighton?
By Resource Investment Index, Leighton Elementary School ranks #2 of 3 schools in Leighton, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Leighton on the city page.
Is Leighton Elementary School a good school?
Leighton Elementary School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Colbert County?
Besides Leighton Elementary School, Colbert County also operates Colbert Heights Elementary School (486 students), Colbert Heights High School (467 students), and Colbert County High School (438 students). See the Colbert 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.