Enrollment
694
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Higdon, AL
North Sand Mountain School
Federal NCES profile for North Sand Mountain School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 38/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010183000662
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 55
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
North Sand Mountain School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools.
- 38
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 47.0%
- free-lunch eligible
- 694
- students enrolled
North Sand Mountain School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Jackson County · Alabama
NCES ID 010183000662 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How North Sand Mountain School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at North Sand Mountain School
North Sand Mountain School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Higdon, Alabama, enrolling 694 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 694 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 377 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #182.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and American Indian / Alaska Native (20%) (diversity index 38/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 18.2% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Jackson County also operates Pisgah High School (598 students) and Skyline High School (586 students) alongside North Sand Mountain 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 North Sand Mountain School compares
North Sand Mountain 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.0% | ▼ 20% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 694 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
694
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
18.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,504
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.9 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 76.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 20.2%
Hispanic or Latino 2.4%
Two or More 0.7%
African American 0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 76.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 37.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 37.5, North Sand Mountain School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Jackson County, which includes North Sand Mountain School.
$11,504
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 29.4%
State 56.5%
Federal 14.1%
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 North Sand Mountain School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pisgah High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Skyline High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodville High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Section High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| North Jackson High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to North Sand Mountain School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 586
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 504
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 503
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 432
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
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 (~694 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on North Sand Mountain School's federal record.
- Compare North Sand Mountain School against another school. Compare schools
- Jackson 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 North Sand Mountain School
How many students attend North Sand Mountain School?
North Sand Mountain School has 694 students enrolled. It is a public school in Higdon, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at North Sand Mountain School?
The student-teacher ratio at North Sand Mountain School is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at North Sand Mountain School?
47.0% of students at North Sand Mountain School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of North Sand Mountain School?
The largest demographic group at North Sand Mountain School is White at 76.4% of enrollment, in Higdon, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for North Sand Mountain School?
North Sand Mountain School has a Resource Investment Index of 38/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is North Sand Mountain School a good school?
North Sand Mountain School earns 38/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Jackson County?
Besides North Sand Mountain School, Jackson County also operates Pisgah High School (598 students), Skyline High School (586 students), and Woodville High School (504 students). See the Jackson 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.