Enrollment
535
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Northport, AL
Northside High School
Federal NCES profile for Northside High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010339001287
👥 S:T ratio 21
📚 AP courses 15
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Northside High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. It is also less racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #11 of 14
- public schools in Northport · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 41.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Northside High School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Northside High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Northport, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339001287 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Northside High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Northside High School
Northside High School is a mid-sized high school in Northport, Alabama, enrolling 535 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 41.1% of students eligible for free meals.
With 535 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 314 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #208.
Its student body is predominantly White (91% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 16/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 3 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 535 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.4% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Discipline events run high: 180 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 535 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Northport's high schools, it stands alongside Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students): Northside High School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 17.9:1).
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,434 students) alongside Northside High 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 Northside High School compares
Northside High 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 | 41.1% | ▼ 30% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 535 | top 39% | - | - |
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.
535
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
16.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$11,186
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 535 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
105
in-school suspensions + 75 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 19.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.6 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 91.4%
Hispanic or Latino 6.0%
African American 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More 0.2%
Largest group: White at 91.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 16.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 16.1, Northside High School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 3
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa County, which includes Northside High School.
$11,186
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.9%
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 Northside High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Northside High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high schools in Northport
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~535 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Northside High School's federal record.
- Compare Northside High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa 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 Northside High School
How many students attend Northside High School?
Northside High School has 535 students enrolled. It is a high school in Northport, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Northside High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Northside High 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 Northside High School?
41.1% of students at Northside High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Northside High School?
The largest demographic group at Northside High School is White at 91.4% of enrollment, in Northport, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Northside High School?
Northside High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Northside High School rank among public schools in Northport?
By Resource Investment Index, Northside High School ranks #11 of 14 public schools in Northport, 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 Northport on the city page.
Is Northside High School a good school?
Northside High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Besides Northside High School, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Hillcrest High School (1,434 students), and Brookwood High School (1,076 students). See the Tuscaloosa 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.