Enrollment
341
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Birmingham, AL
Richard Arrington Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Richard Arrington Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 22/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010039002489
👥 S:T ratio 24
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richard Arrington Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools.
- #37 of 38
- schools in Birmingham · Resource Index
- 22
- Resource Index · Lower
- 18.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 77.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Richard Arrington Elementary has class sizes larger than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Arrington Elementary ranks #37 of 38 schools in Birmingham, AL.
School address
District: Birmingham City · Alabama
NCES ID 010039002489 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
18.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
77.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richard Arrington Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richard Arrington Elementary
Richard Arrington Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Birmingham, Alabama, enrolling 341 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 77.3% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 341 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 299 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #282, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 40.2% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 23.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Birmingham's public schools, it stands alongside Huffman High Schoolmagnet (1,094 students): Richard Arrington Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.9:1 vs 18.2:1).
Birmingham City also operates Huffman High Schoolmagnet (1,094 students) and Parker High School (942 students) alongside Richard Arrington Elementary.
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 Richard Arrington Elementary compares
Richard Arrington Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 18.9:1 | ▲ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 77.3% | ▲ 31% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 341 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.9:1
Leaner classes than 20% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
341
Bigger than 38% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
77.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% 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
18.9:1
students per teacher
- 7% above state mean
Top 72% in Alabama - lower ratio than 28% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
40.2%
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
$13,890
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 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.3 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 85.6%
Hispanic or Latino 12.0%
White 1.5%
Two or More 0.9%
Largest group: African American at 85.6% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.3, Richard Arrington Elementary is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Birmingham City, which includes Richard Arrington Elementary.
$13,890
Per student
+11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.0%
State 43.8%
Federal 23.2%
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 Richard Arrington Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huffman High Schoolmagnet | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Parker High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Glen Iris Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huffman Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ramsay High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richard Arrington Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,094
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 942
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 11/100
- Enrollment
- 827
- Students per teacher
- 20.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 779
- Students per teacher
- 20:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 762
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Birmingham
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Huffman High Schoolmagnet
Standard public school
1,094 students 18.2:1 students per teacher
Glen Iris Elementary School
Standard public school
827 students 20.7:1 students per teacher
Chalkville Elementary School
Standard public school
818 students 21.5:1 students per teacher
Huffman Academy
Standard public school
779 students 20:1 students per teacher
Jacksonolin High School
Standard public school
713 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Bryant Park Elementary
Standard public school
707 students 19.1:1 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 (~341 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richard Arrington Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Richard Arrington Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Birmingham 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 Richard Arrington Elementary
How many students attend Richard Arrington Elementary?
Richard Arrington Elementary has 341 students enrolled. It is a public school in Birmingham, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richard Arrington Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Richard Arrington Elementary is 18.9:1, which is 7% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richard Arrington Elementary?
77.3% of students at Richard Arrington Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richard Arrington Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Richard Arrington Elementary is African American at 85.6% of enrollment, in Birmingham, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richard Arrington Elementary?
Richard Arrington Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 22/100 (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 Richard Arrington Elementary rank among schools in Birmingham?
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Arrington Elementary ranks #37 of 38 schools in Birmingham, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Birmingham on the city page.
Is Richard Arrington Elementary a good school?
Richard Arrington Elementary earns 22/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 72% 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 Birmingham City?
Besides Richard Arrington Elementary, Birmingham City also operates Huffman High Schoolmagnet (1,094 students), Parker High School (942 students), and Glen Iris Elementary School (827 students). See the Birmingham 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.