Enrollment
369
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Mobile, AL
Old Shell Road Magnet School
Federal NCES profile for Old Shell Road Magnet School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010237000943
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 87
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Old Shell Road Magnet School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 4
- elementary schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 57.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Old Shell Road Magnet School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Old Shell Road Magnet School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
57.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-3% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Old Shell Road Magnet School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Old Shell Road Magnet School
Old Shell Road Magnet School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 369 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 57.2% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 369 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Among 379 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #5, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (61%) and White (27%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 369 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.1% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Its district draws 24.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Mobile's elementary schools, it stands alongside Clarkshaw Magnet School (582 students): Old Shell Road Magnet School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 16.6:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Old Shell Road Magnet 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 Old Shell Road Magnet School compares
Old Shell Road Magnet 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 57.2% | ▼ 3% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 369 | top 71% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
369
Bigger than 43% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
57.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 3% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 28% in Alabama - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.1%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$12,163
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 369 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 17 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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
African American 60.7%
White 27.1%
Two or More 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.7%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Largest group: African American at 60.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Old Shell Road Magnet School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Mobile County, which includes Old Shell Road Magnet School.
$12,163
Per student
-3%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 26.3%
State 49.5%
Federal 24.2%
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 Old Shell Road Magnet School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Old Shell Road Magnet School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,271
- Students per teacher
- 16.6:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,624
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 15/100
- Enrollment
- 1,470
- Students per teacher
- 17.5:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 1,339
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 19/100
Similar elementary schools in Mobile
3 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~369 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Old Shell Road Magnet School's federal record.
- Compare Old Shell Road Magnet School against another school. Compare schools
- Mobile 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 Old Shell Road Magnet School
How many students attend Old Shell Road Magnet School?
Old Shell Road Magnet School has 369 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Old Shell Road Magnet School?
The student-teacher ratio at Old Shell Road Magnet School is 16:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 2% higher 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 Old Shell Road Magnet School?
57.2% of students at Old Shell Road Magnet School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Old Shell Road Magnet School?
The largest demographic group at Old Shell Road Magnet School is African American at 60.7% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Old Shell Road Magnet School?
Old Shell Road Magnet School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Old Shell Road Magnet School rank among elementary schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Old Shell Road Magnet School ranks #1 of 4 elementary schools in Mobile, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Mobile on the city page.
Is Old Shell Road Magnet School a good school?
Old Shell Road Magnet School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% 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 Mobile County?
Besides Old Shell Road Magnet School, Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students), Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students), and Alma Bryant High School (1,624 students). See the Mobile 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.