Enrollment
164
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Selma, AL
Payne Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Payne Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 41/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010297001158
👥 S:T ratio 45
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 67
📋 Attendance 22
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Payne Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #4 of 6
- schools in Selma · Resource Index
- 41
- Resource Index · Typical
- 13.7:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 96.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Payne Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Payne Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Selma, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
12.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.7:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-23% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
96.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+64% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Payne Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Payne Elementary School
Payne Elementary School is a high-poverty, small combined-grade school in Selma, Alabama, enrolling 164 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.7:1, Payne Elementary School is leaner than roughly 92% of Alabama schools and 23% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need is high: 96.6% of students qualify for free meals, 64% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 96% of Alabama schools, with 164 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 40 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #26.
Its student body is predominantly African American (99% of enrollment), among the less diverse in the state (diversity index 1/100).
Counselor coverage is strong, about 164 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.1% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 29.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Selma's public schools, it stands alongside Sophia P Kingston Elementary School (305 students): Payne Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.7:1 vs 25.4:1).
Selma City also operates Selma High School (680 students) and Edgewood Elementary School (402 students) alongside Payne 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 Payne Elementary School compares
Payne 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 | 13.7:1 | ▼ 23% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 96.6% | ▲ 64% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 164 | top 96% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.7:1
Leaner classes than 60% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
164
Bigger than 16% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
96.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 64% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
13.7:1
students per teacher
- 23% below state mean
Top 8% in Alabama - lower ratio than 92% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
31.1%
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
$14,289
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 164 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 99.4%
Two or More 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 99.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 1.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 1.2, Payne Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Selma City, which includes Payne Elementary School.
$14,289
Per student
+14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-14%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 17.5%
State 53.2%
Federal 29.3%
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 Payne Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selma High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Edgewood Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meadowview Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sophia P Kingston Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| The Rbhudson Steam Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Payne Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 680
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
- Enrollment
- 334
- Students per teacher
- 23.9:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 305
- Students per teacher
- 25.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 279
- Students per teacher
- 13.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar other schools in Selma
5 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Sophia P Kingston Elementary School
Standard public school
305 students 25.4:1 students per teacher
Brantley Elementary School
Standard public school
204 students 25.5:1 students per teacher
Southside Primary School
Standard public school
147 students 14.7:1 students per teacher
Clark Elementary School
Standard public school
113 students 10.3:1 students per teacher
Saints Virtual Academy
Standard public school
24 students 4:1 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 (~164 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Payne Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Payne Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Selma City'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 Payne Elementary School
How many students attend Payne Elementary School?
Payne Elementary School has 164 students enrolled. It is a public school in Selma, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Payne Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Payne Elementary School is 13.7:1, which is 23% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 13% lower 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 Payne Elementary School?
96.6% of students at Payne Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Payne Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Payne Elementary School is African American at 99.4% of enrollment, in Selma, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Payne Elementary School?
Payne Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 41/100 (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 Payne Elementary School rank among schools in Selma?
By Resource Investment Index, Payne Elementary School ranks #4 of 6 schools in Selma, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Selma on the city page.
Is Payne Elementary School a good school?
Payne Elementary School earns 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 92% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest 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 Selma City?
Besides Payne Elementary School, Selma City also operates Selma High School (680 students), Edgewood Elementary School (402 students), and Meadowview Elementary School (334 students). See the Selma City 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.