Enrollment
328
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hoover, AL
Shades Mountain Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Shades Mountain Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 46/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010000701743
👥 S:T ratio 43
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 34
📋 Attendance 76
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Shades Mountain Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #1 of 10
- schools in Hoover · Resource Index
- 46
- Resource Index · Typical
- 14.3:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Shades Mountain Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Shades Mountain Elementary School ranks #1 of 10 schools in Hoover, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Shades Mountain Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Shades Mountain Elementary School
Shades Mountain Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Hoover, Alabama, enrolling 328 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.3:1, Shades Mountain Elementary School is leaner than roughly 89% of Alabama schools and 19% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.0% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 328 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 181 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #68.
Its student body is led by White (56%) and African American (17%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 328 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance holds up well here: only 9.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Hoover's public schools, it stands alongside Trace Crossings Elementary School (769 students): Shades Mountain Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.3:1 vs 15.1:1).
Hoover City also operates Hoover High School (2,919 students) and Spain Park High School (1,472 students) alongside Shades Mountain 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 Shades Mountain Elementary School compares
Shades Mountain 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 | 14.3:1 | ▼ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▼ 27% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 328 | top 77% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.3:1
Leaner classes than 54% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
328
Bigger than 36% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
14.3:1
students per teacher
- 19% below state mean
Top 11% in Alabama - lower ratio than 89% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
9.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$13,854
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 328 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 8 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 2.7 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
White 56.1%
African American 16.5%
Two or More 10.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.8%
Asian 7.9%
Largest group: White at 56.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.3, Shades Mountain Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Hoover City, which includes Shades Mountain Elementary School.
$13,854
Per student
+11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 51.6%
State 39.9%
Federal 8.5%
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 Shades Mountain Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoover High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Spain Park High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Robert F Bumpus Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Berry Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Ira F Simmons Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Shades Mountain Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,919
- Students per teacher
- 16.1:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,192
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,058
- Students per teacher
- 14.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 860
- Students per teacher
- 12.6:1
- Resource Index
- 49/100
Similar other schools in Hoover
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Trace Crossings Elementary School
Standard public school
769 students 15.1:1 students per teacher
Deer Valley Elementary School
Standard public school
735 students 15.3:1 students per teacher
Bluff Park Elementary School
Standard public school
658 students 16.4:1 students per teacher
Rocky Ridge Elementary School
Standard public school
577 students 13.4:1 students per teacher
Riverchase Elementary School
Standard public school
562 students 12.8:1 students per teacher
South Shades Crest Elementary School
Standard public school
534 students 14.8:1 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 (~328 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~14.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Shades Mountain Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Shades Mountain Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Hoover 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 Shades Mountain Elementary School
How many students attend Shades Mountain Elementary School?
Shades Mountain Elementary School has 328 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hoover, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Shades Mountain Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Shades Mountain Elementary School is 14.3:1, which is 19% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% 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 Shades Mountain Elementary School?
43.0% of students at Shades Mountain Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Shades Mountain Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Shades Mountain Elementary School is White at 56.1% of enrollment, in Hoover, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.3/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Shades Mountain Elementary School?
Shades Mountain Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 46/100 (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 Shades Mountain Elementary School rank among schools in Hoover?
By Resource Investment Index, Shades Mountain Elementary School ranks #1 of 10 schools in Hoover, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hoover on the city page.
Is Shades Mountain Elementary School a good school?
Shades Mountain Elementary School earns 46/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 89% of Alabama schools. 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 Hoover City?
Besides Shades Mountain Elementary School, Hoover City also operates Hoover High School (2,919 students), Spain Park High School (1,472 students), and Robert F Bumpus Middle School (1,192 students). See the Hoover 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.