Enrollment
1,076
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Pelham, AL
Pelham High School
Federal NCES profile for Pelham High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010019402399
👥 S:T ratio 34
📚 AP courses 65
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 46
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Pelham High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #2 of 5
- public schools in Pelham · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 36.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Pelham High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Pelham High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Pelham, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
65.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
36.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-39% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Pelham High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Pelham High School
Pelham High School is a large high school in Pelham, Alabama, enrolling 1,076 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 36.1% free-meal eligibility runs 39% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 94% of state schools at 1,076 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 142 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #24.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 68/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 13 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 359 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Pelham City also operates Pelham Park Middle School (835 students) and Pelham Ridge (783 students) alongside Pelham 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 Pelham High School compares
Pelham 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 | 16.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 36.1% | ▼ 39% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,076 | top 6% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,076
Bigger than 92% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
36.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 39% 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
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in Alabama - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
21.7%
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
$11,678
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
Counselors3.0 FTE
Per 359 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
116
in-school suspensions + 67 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 10.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 17.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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 43.6%
Hispanic or Latino 29.7%
African American 19.7%
Two or More 3.7%
Asian 2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 43.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.1, Pelham High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 13
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pelham City, which includes Pelham High School.
$11,678
Per student
-7%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.0%
State 42.6%
Federal 10.4%
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 Pelham High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelham Park Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Pelham Ridge | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Pelham Oaks | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Pelham High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 835
- Students per teacher
- 19:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 750
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
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 (~1,076 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Pelham High School's federal record.
- Compare Pelham High School against another school. Compare schools
- Pelham 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 Pelham High School
How many students attend Pelham High School?
Pelham High School has 1,076 students enrolled. It is a high school in Pelham, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Pelham High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Pelham High School is 16.6:1, which is 6% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 6% 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 Pelham High School?
36.1% of students at Pelham High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Pelham High School?
The largest demographic group at Pelham High School is White at 43.6% of enrollment, in Pelham, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Pelham High School?
Pelham High School has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher 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 Pelham High School rank among public schools in Pelham?
By Resource Investment Index, Pelham High School ranks #2 of 5 public schools in Pelham, 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 Pelham on the city page.
Is Pelham High School a good school?
Pelham High School earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more 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 Pelham City?
Besides Pelham High School, Pelham City also operates Pelham Park Middle School (835 students), Pelham Ridge (783 students), and Pelham Oaks (750 students). See the Pelham 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.