Enrollment
463
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Huntsville, AL
Ridgecrest Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Ridgecrest Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010180000643
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Ridgecrest Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools.
- #23 of 29
- schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 81.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Ridgecrest Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 72% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgecrest Elementary School ranks #23 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180000643 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
29.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
81.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+38% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Ridgecrest Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Ridgecrest Elementary School
Ridgecrest Elementary School is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 463 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 81.0% of students qualify for free meals, 38% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
With 463 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 289 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #154.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (57%) and African American (27%) (diversity index 59/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.9% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Huntsville's public schools, it stands alongside Providence Elementary (1,152 students): Ridgecrest Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16:1 vs 24.5:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Ridgecrest 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 Ridgecrest Elementary School compares
Ridgecrest 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 | 16:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 81.0% | ▲ 38% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 463 | top 52% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16:1
Leaner classes than 38% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
81.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 38% 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
16:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 28% in Alabama - lower ratio than 72% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
30.9%
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
$12,033
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 463 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 6 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 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
Hispanic or Latino 57.2%
African American 27.4%
White 10.2%
Two or More 3.5%
Asian 1.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 57.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 58.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 58.6, Ridgecrest Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Ridgecrest Elementary School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 Ridgecrest Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Ridgecrest Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Huntsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
1,152 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Mt Carmel Elementary School
Standard public school
638 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Central School
Standard public school
610 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Monrovia Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Blossomwood Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Riverton Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 19.2:1 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 (~463 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Ridgecrest Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Ridgecrest Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville 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 Ridgecrest Elementary School
How many students attend Ridgecrest Elementary School?
Ridgecrest Elementary School has 463 students enrolled. It is a public school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Ridgecrest Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Ridgecrest Elementary School is 16:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 2% 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 Ridgecrest Elementary School?
81.0% of students at Ridgecrest Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Ridgecrest Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Ridgecrest Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 57.2% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 58.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Ridgecrest Elementary School?
Ridgecrest Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Ridgecrest Elementary School rank among schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Ridgecrest Elementary School ranks #23 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Ridgecrest Elementary School a good school?
Ridgecrest Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Ridgecrest Elementary School, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville 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.