2024-25 NCES data Elementary school (grades K-5) NCES 010020702502 Charter school

Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute — Montgomery, AL

Federal NCES profile for Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators — Resource Investment Index 24/100.

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0/100100/10024/100
👥 Class size
0
🌟 Gifted program
30
📋 Attendance
42
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

Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute earns an F Resource Investment Index (24/100), with class sizes larger than 99% of Alabama schools.

F
Resource Index · 24/100
25.4:1
large classes for Alabama
54.1%
free-lunch eligible
599
students enrolled

School address

Montgomery, AL 36108
District: Life Academy · 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

599

Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data

Teachers (FTE)

12.0

Federal CCD staff survey

Students per teacher

25.4:1

vs 17.8:1 Alabama avg

+43% vs state

Free-lunch eligible

54.1%

vs 58.8% Alabama avg

-8% vs state

Student-teacher ratio in context

How Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute compares with Alabama and U.S. medians

Larger classes than state median
0:135:125.4:1

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

Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute reports 599 enrolled students to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) alongside 12.0 full-time-equivalent teachers, producing a 25.4:1 student-teacher ratio. That figure sits 43% above the Alabama state mean of 17.8:1, signalling larger average class loads than peers in the same state. Against the national 2024-25 average of 15.9:1, it is 60% higher, a useful calibration for families comparing districts across state lines.

Title I and federal lunch eligibility offer another window into the student body: 54.1% of pupils qualify for free meals, a proxy for household income that federal programs use to direct funding. The free-lunch share is 8% below the Alabama average and 4% above the national baseline. Chronic absenteeism — missing 10% or more of school days — stands at 23.4% according to the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.

On the finance side, the surrounding Life Academy spends $13,177 per pupil district-wide, below the Alabama average of $14,500 and below the national average of $19,490. Revenue comes 10.3% from local sources (property taxes), 64.1% from the state, and 25.5% from federal programs per the NCES F-33 finance survey. Taken together, these measurements produce a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F), calculated from 3 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 Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute 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 25.4:1 ▲ 43% 17.8:1 15.9:1
Free-lunch eligible 54.1% ▼ 8% 58.8% 51.8%
Enrollment 599 top 70% — —

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)

25 smaller classes than 4% 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%). Below this entry. 18–20: 8,300 US schools (9%). Below this entry. 20–22: 5,448 US schools (6%). Below this entry. 22–24: 4,007 US schools (4%). Below this entry. 24–26: 2,663 US schools (3%). This entry sits in this band. 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')

599 larger than 72% 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%). Below this entry. 450–600: 17,006 US schools (18%). This entry sits in this band. 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
54.1%
free-lunch eligible — 8% 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
25.4:1
students per teacher — 43% above state mean
Top 99% in Alabama — lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Above 20:1 — larger class loads than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is stretched relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Chronic absenteeism at or above 20% — the CDC threshold for "high" — signals significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,177
per pupil, district-wide — below Alabama avg of $14,500
Below the U.S. average per-pupil spend — funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.

Overview

Enrollment 599 Top 70% in Alabama — larger than 30% of 1,369 state schools
Teachers (FTE) 12.0
Students per teacher 25.4:1 +43% vs state
Free-lunch eligible 54.1% -8% vs state
NCES ID 010020702502

Student demographics

African American 93.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Two or More 2.5%
Asian 0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
White 0.3%

Largest group: African American at 93.5% of enrollment.

Programs & staff

Discipline & special education

Chronically absent 23.4%

Funding & spending

District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Life Academy, which includes Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute.

$13,177
Per student
-9%
vs Alabama
Avg $14,500
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $19,490
Revenue mix
Local 10.3%
State 64.1%
Federal 25.5%

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.

Similar elementary schools in Montgomery

6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.

Forest Avenue Elementary School
Standard public school
617 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Brewbaker Intermediate School
Standard public school
549 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Bear Exploration Center
Standard public school
507 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Lead Academy Building B
Standard public school
394 students 27.2:1 students per teacher
Macmillan International at Mckee
Standard public school
386 students 17.5:1 students per teacher
Lead Academy Building a
Standard public school
358 students 24.1:1 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 Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute

How many students attend Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute?

Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute has 599 students enrolled. It is a elementary school in Montgomery, AL.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute?

The student-teacher ratio at Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute is 25.4:1, which is 43% higher than the Alabama average of 17.8:1 and 60% higher than the national average of 15.9:1.

What percentage of students receive free lunch at Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute?

54.1% of students at Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.

What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute?

The largest demographic group at Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute is African American at 93.5%. The school serves a diverse student body in Montgomery, AL.

What is the Resource Investment Index for Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute?

Life Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute has a Resource Investment Index of 24/100 (F) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. This index measures federal resource allocation — staffing levels, program availability, and support services — not standardized test scores or academic outcomes.

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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