Enrollment
203
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Athens, AL
Piney Chapel Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Piney Chapel Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010210000806
👥 S:T ratio 38
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 59
📋 Attendance 58
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Piney Chapel Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 9
- schools in Athens · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.6:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 70.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Piney Chapel Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 77% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Chapel Elementary School ranks #1 of 9 schools in Athens, AL.
School address
District: Limestone County · Alabama
NCES ID 010210000806 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
13.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Piney Chapel Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Piney Chapel Elementary School
Piney Chapel Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Athens, Alabama, enrolling 203 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 92% of Alabama schools, with 203 enrolled.
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 110 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #6, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 203 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
16.7% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Limestone County spends $8,021 per pupil, 36% below the Alabama average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Athens's public schools, it stands alongside Alabama Connections Academy (7,822 students): Piney Chapel Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount.
Limestone County also operates Alabama Connections Academy (7,822 students) and East Limestone High School (1,216 students) alongside Piney Chapel 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 Piney Chapel Elementary School compares
Piney Chapel 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 | 15.6:1 | ▼ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.0% | ▲ 19% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 203 | top 92% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.6:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
203
Bigger than 20% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
15.6:1
students per teacher
- 12% below state mean
Top 23% in Alabama - lower ratio than 77% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
16.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$8,021
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 203 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.0 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Limestone County, which includes Piney Chapel Elementary School.
$8,021
Per student
-36%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.4%
State 61.6%
Federal 11.1%
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 Piney Chapel Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Connections Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | No ratio data |
| East Limestone High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardmore High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Limestone High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Sugar Creek Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Piney Chapel Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 7,822
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 736
- Students per teacher
- 19.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Athens
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Alabama Connections Academy
Standard public school
7,822 students
East Limestone High School
Standard public school
1,216 students 22.1:1 students per teacher
Athens Renaissance School
Standard public school
606 students 24.2:1 students per teacher
Blue Springs Elementary School
Standard public school
558 students 19.2:1 students per teacher
Clements High School
Standard public school
525 students 18.1:1 students per teacher
Johnson Elementary School
Standard public school
475 students 21.6:1 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 (~203 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Piney Chapel Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Piney Chapel Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Limestone 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 Piney Chapel Elementary School
How many students attend Piney Chapel Elementary School?
Piney Chapel Elementary School has 203 students enrolled. It is a public school in Athens, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Piney Chapel Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Piney Chapel Elementary School is 15.6:1, which is 12% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% 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 Piney Chapel Elementary School?
70.0% of students at Piney Chapel Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Piney Chapel Elementary School?
Piney Chapel Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (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 Piney Chapel Elementary School rank among schools in Athens?
By Resource Investment Index, Piney Chapel Elementary School ranks #1 of 9 schools in Athens, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Athens on the city page.
Is Piney Chapel Elementary School a good school?
Piney Chapel Elementary School earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 77% 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 Limestone County?
Besides Piney Chapel Elementary School, Limestone County also operates Alabama Connections Academy (7,822 students), East Limestone High School (1,216 students), and Ardmore High School (964 students). See the Limestone 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.