Enrollment
1,168
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Birmingham, AL
Oak Mountain Middle School
Federal NCES profile for Oak Mountain Middle School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 43/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 010303000124
👥 S:T ratio 16
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 79
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Oak Mountain Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #3 of 10
- middle schools in Birmingham · Resource Index
- 43
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 20.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Oak Mountain Middle School has class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Oak Mountain Middle School ranks #3 of 10 middle schools in Birmingham, AL.
School address
District: Shelby County · Alabama
NCES ID 010303000124 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
56.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+18% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
20.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-65% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Oak Mountain Middle School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Oak Mountain Middle School
Oak Mountain Middle School is a large middle school in Birmingham, Alabama, enrolling 1,168 students.
Class loads run heavy: 20.9:1 is larger than about 90% of Alabama schools and 18% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 20.3% free-meal eligibility runs 65% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,168 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 64 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and African American (12%) (diversity index 44/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 467 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.4% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 5 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Birmingham's middle schools, it stands alongside Jones Valley Middle School (465 students): Oak Mountain Middle School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (20.9:1 vs 17.9:1).
Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students) and Helena High School (1,383 students) alongside Oak Mountain Middle 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 Oak Mountain Middle School compares
Oak Mountain Middle 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 | 20.9:1 | ▲ 18% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 20.3% | ▼ 65% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,168 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.9:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,168
Bigger than 94% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
20.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 65% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.9:1
students per teacher
- 18% above state mean
Top 90% in Alabama - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
8.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$11,253
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
Counselors2.5 FTE
Per 467 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
117
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 14.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 5 expulsions.
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 73.0%
African American 12.0%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%
Asian 4.5%
Two or More 2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.4, Oak Mountain Middle School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Shelby County, which includes Oak Mountain Middle School.
$11,253
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-32%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 38.9%
State 51.9%
Federal 9.2%
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 Oak Mountain Middle School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Mountain High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Helena High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Chelsea High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Calera High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Helena Middle | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Oak Mountain Middle School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,648
- Students per teacher
- 19.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,383
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,235
- Students per teacher
- 16:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,018
- Students per teacher
- 18.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 957
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar middle schools in Birmingham
6 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Jones Valley Middle School
Standard public school
465 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Wilkerson Middle School
Standard public school
424 students 24.9:1 students per teacher
I3 Academy Phase 2
Standard public school
400 students 33.3:1 students per teacher
Huffman Middle School
Standard public school
384 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Bush Hills Steam Academy
Standard public school
370 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Smith Middle School
Standard public school
336 students 19.8:1 students per teacher
Similar middle 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 (~1,168 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Oak Mountain Middle School's federal record.
- Compare Oak Mountain Middle School against another school. Compare schools
- Shelby 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 Oak Mountain Middle School
How many students attend Oak Mountain Middle School?
Oak Mountain Middle School has 1,168 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Birmingham, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Oak Mountain Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Oak Mountain Middle School is 20.9:1, which is 18% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 33% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Oak Mountain Middle School?
20.3% of students at Oak Mountain Middle School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Oak Mountain Middle School?
The largest demographic group at Oak Mountain Middle School is White at 73.0% of enrollment, in Birmingham, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Oak Mountain Middle School?
Oak Mountain Middle School has a Resource Investment Index of 43/100 (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 Oak Mountain Middle School rank among middle schools in Birmingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Oak Mountain Middle School ranks #3 of 10 middle schools in Birmingham, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all middle schools in Birmingham on the city page.
Is Oak Mountain Middle School a good school?
Oak Mountain Middle School earns 43/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama. 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 Shelby County?
Besides Oak Mountain Middle School, Shelby County also operates Oak Mountain High School (1,648 students), Helena High School (1,383 students), and Chelsea High School (1,235 students). See the Shelby 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.