Enrollment
622
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Mobile, AL
Orchard Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Orchard Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 30/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010237000944
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Orchard Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% of Alabama schools.
- #19 of 34
- schools in Mobile · Resource Index
- 30
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.4:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 80.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Orchard Elementary School has class sizes larger than 92% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Elementary School ranks #19 of 34 schools in Mobile, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.4:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+21% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
80.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Orchard Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Orchard Elementary School
Orchard Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Mobile, Alabama, enrolling 622 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21.4:1 is larger than about 92% of Alabama schools and 21% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 80.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 622 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 265 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #162.
Its student body is predominantly African American (83% of enrollment) (diversity index 31/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 622 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
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 public schools, it stands alongside Er Dickson Elementary School (967 students): Orchard Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (21.4:1 vs 19:1).
Mobile County also operates Baker High School (2,271 students) and Mary G Montgomery High School (1,888 students) alongside Orchard Elementary 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 Orchard Elementary School compares
Orchard Elementary 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 | 21.4:1 | ▲ 21% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 80.3% | ▲ 37% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 622 | top 27% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.4:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
622
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
80.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.4:1
students per teacher
- 21% above state mean
Top 92% in Alabama - lower ratio than 8% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
26.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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 622 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 22 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.5 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 82.5%
Hispanic or Latino 7.4%
White 5.0%
Two or More 4.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: African American at 82.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.0, Orchard Elementary School is less 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 Orchard Elementary 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 Orchard Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baker High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mary G Montgomery High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Alma Bryant High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Wp Davidson High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bernice J Causey Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Orchard Elementary 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 other schools in Mobile
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Er Dickson Elementary School
Standard public school
967 students 19:1 students per teacher
Lillie B Williamson High School
Standard public school
889 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Olive J Dodge Elementary School
Standard public school
862 students 18:1 students per teacher
Dr Robert W Gilliard Elementary
Standard public school
806 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Orourke Elementary School
Standard public school
799 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Elsie Collier Elementary School
Standard public school
731 students 17:1 students per teacher
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 (~622 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Orchard Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Orchard Elementary 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 Orchard Elementary School
How many students attend Orchard Elementary School?
Orchard Elementary School has 622 students enrolled. It is a public school in Mobile, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Orchard Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Orchard Elementary School is 21.4:1, which is 21% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 36% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Orchard Elementary School?
80.3% of students at Orchard Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Orchard Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Orchard Elementary School is African American at 82.5% of enrollment, in Mobile, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Orchard Elementary School?
Orchard Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 30/100 (lower 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 Orchard Elementary School rank among schools in Mobile?
By Resource Investment Index, Orchard Elementary School ranks #19 of 34 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 schools in Mobile on the city page.
Is Orchard Elementary School a good school?
Orchard Elementary School earns 30/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 92% 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 Orchard Elementary 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.