Enrollment
524
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Buhl, AL
Sipsey Valley High School
Federal NCES profile for Sipsey Valley High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 29/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010339002153
👥 S:T ratio 16
📚 AP courses 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 40
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sipsey Valley High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 3
- public schools in Buhl · Resource Index
- 29
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 51.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Sipsey Valley High School has class sizes larger than 90% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sipsey Valley High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buhl, AL.
School address
District: Tuscaloosa County · Alabama
NCES ID 010339002153 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
25.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-13% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sipsey Valley High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sipsey Valley High School
Sipsey Valley High School is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Buhl, Alabama, enrolling 524 students.
Class loads run heavy: 21:1 is larger than about 90% of Alabama schools and 19% above the 17.7:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 51.3% of students eligible for free meals.
With 524 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.
Among 447 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #343, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (69%) and African American (18%) (diversity index 48/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 4 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 524 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 119 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 524 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 8 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students) and Hillcrest High School (1,434 students) alongside Sipsey Valley High 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 Sipsey Valley High School compares
Sipsey Valley High 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 | 21:1 | ▲ 19% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.3% | ▼ 13% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 524 | top 41% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21:1
Leaner classes than 13% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
524
Bigger than 65% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 13% 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
21:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 90% in Alabama - lower ratio than 10% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
24.0%
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
$11,186
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 524 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
71
in-school suspensions + 48 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 13.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 22.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 8 expulsions.
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 69.1%
African American 18.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.6%
Two or More 0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 69.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Sipsey Valley High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 4
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Tuscaloosa County, which includes Sipsey Valley High School.
$11,186
Per student
-10%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.0%
State 58.1%
Federal 14.9%
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 Sipsey Valley High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hillcrest High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Brookwood High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lake View Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Walker Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sipsey Valley High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,607
- Students per teacher
- 17.9:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 1,434
- Students per teacher
- 20.2:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,076
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 744
- Students per teacher
- 20.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 743
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar high 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 (~524 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sipsey Valley High School's federal record.
- Compare Sipsey Valley High School against another school. Compare schools
- Tuscaloosa 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 Sipsey Valley High School
How many students attend Sipsey Valley High School?
Sipsey Valley High School has 524 students enrolled. It is a high school in Buhl, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sipsey Valley High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sipsey Valley High School is 21:1, which is 19% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 34% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sipsey Valley High School?
51.3% of students at Sipsey Valley High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sipsey Valley High School?
The largest demographic group at Sipsey Valley High School is White at 69.1% of enrollment, in Buhl, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sipsey Valley High School?
Sipsey Valley High School has a Resource Investment Index of 29/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Sipsey Valley High School rank among public schools in Buhl?
By Resource Investment Index, Sipsey Valley High School ranks #2 of 3 public schools in Buhl, 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 Buhl on the city page.
Is Sipsey Valley High School a good school?
Sipsey Valley High School earns 29/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 90% 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 Tuscaloosa County?
Besides Sipsey Valley High School, Tuscaloosa County also operates Tuscaloosa County High School (1,607 students), Hillcrest High School (1,434 students), and Brookwood High School (1,076 students). See the Tuscaloosa 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.