Enrollment
509
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Atmore, AL
Rachel Patterson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Rachel Patterson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 26/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010135001661
👥 S:T ratio 12
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 21
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rachel Patterson Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% of Alabama schools.
- #3 of 4
- public schools in Atmore · Resource Index
- 26
- Resource Index · Lower
- 22.1:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 72.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Rachel Patterson Elementary School has class sizes larger than 94% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rachel Patterson Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Atmore, AL.
School address
District: Escambia County · Alabama
NCES ID 010135001661 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
22.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+25% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
72.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+24% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rachel Patterson Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rachel Patterson Elementary School
Rachel Patterson Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Atmore, Alabama, enrolling 509 students.
Class loads run heavy: 22.1:1 is larger than about 94% of Alabama schools and 25% 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 72.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 509 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 386 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #333, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by African American (75%) and White (15%) (diversity index 40/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 509 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 31.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 19.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Escambia County also operates Flomaton High School (559 students) and W S Neal Elementary School (500 students) alongside Rachel Patterson 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 Rachel Patterson Elementary School compares
Rachel Patterson 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 | 22.1:1 | ▲ 25% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 72.7% | ▲ 24% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 509 | top 44% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
22.1:1
Leaner classes than 10% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
509
Bigger than 63% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
72.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 24% 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
22.1:1
students per teacher
- 25% above state mean
Top 94% in Alabama - lower ratio than 6% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
31.8%
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
$13,190
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 509 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 75.4%
White 15.3%
Two or More 5.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.6%
Largest group: African American at 75.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 40.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 40.4, Rachel Patterson 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 Escambia County, which includes Rachel Patterson Elementary School.
$13,190
Per student
+6%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-21%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.6%
State 47.1%
Federal 19.3%
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 Rachel Patterson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flomaton High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| W S Neal Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Escambia County High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Flomaton Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| W S Neal Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rachel Patterson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 559
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 20/100
- Enrollment
- 500
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 390
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 26/100
- Enrollment
- 388
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 386
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
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 (~509 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rachel Patterson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Rachel Patterson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Escambia 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 Rachel Patterson Elementary School
How many students attend Rachel Patterson Elementary School?
Rachel Patterson Elementary School has 509 students enrolled. It is a public school in Atmore, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rachel Patterson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Rachel Patterson Elementary School is 22.1:1, which is 25% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 41% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rachel Patterson Elementary School?
72.7% of students at Rachel Patterson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rachel Patterson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Rachel Patterson Elementary School is African American at 75.4% of enrollment, in Atmore, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rachel Patterson Elementary School?
Rachel Patterson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 26/100 (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 Rachel Patterson Elementary School rank among public schools in Atmore?
By Resource Investment Index, Rachel Patterson Elementary School ranks #3 of 4 public schools in Atmore, 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 Atmore on the city page.
Is Rachel Patterson Elementary School a good school?
Rachel Patterson Elementary School earns 26/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 94% 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 Escambia County?
Besides Rachel Patterson Elementary School, Escambia County also operates Flomaton High School (559 students), W S Neal Elementary School (500 students), and Escambia County High School (390 students). See the Escambia 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.