Enrollment
463
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Smiths Station, AL
Smith Station Freshman Center
Federal NCES profile for Smith Station Freshman Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 18/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010207002197
👥 S:T ratio 32
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 7
📋 Attendance 13
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Smith Station Freshman Center earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Smiths Station · Resource Index
- 18
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 49.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Smith Station Freshman Center has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Station Freshman Center ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Smiths Station, AL.
School address
District: Lee County · Alabama
NCES ID 010207002197 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
27.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
49.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-15% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Smith Station Freshman Center compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Smith Station Freshman Center
Smith Station Freshman Center is a mid-sized high school in Smiths Station, Alabama, enrolling 463 students.
At 17.1:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Alabama median, within a few percentage points of the 17.7:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 49.9% of students eligible for free meals.
With 463 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 97% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Among 421 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #412, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 463 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 35.0% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Discipline events run high: 131 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 463 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Smiths Station's high schools, it stands alongside Smiths Station High School (1,588 students): Smith Station Freshman Center is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.1:1 vs 20.6:1).
Lee County also operates Smiths Station High School (1,588 students) and Smiths Station Junior High School (910 students) alongside Smith Station Freshman Center.
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 Smith Station Freshman Center compares
Smith Station Freshman Center on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 17.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 49.9% | ▼ 15% | 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
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
463
Bigger than 57% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
49.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 15% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 46% in Alabama - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
35.0%
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
$11,578
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
87
in-school suspensions + 44 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 18.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.3 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.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lee County, which includes Smith Station Freshman Center.
$11,578
Per student
-7%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-30%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.3%
State 53.3%
Federal 14.4%
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 Smith Station Freshman Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smiths Station High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Smiths Station Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Smiths Station Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| East Smiths Station Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Beauregard Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Smith Station Freshman Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,588
- Students per teacher
- 20.6:1
- Resource Index
- 16/100
- Enrollment
- 910
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 811
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 785
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 783
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar high schools in Smiths Station
1 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
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 (~463 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.1:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Smith Station Freshman Center's federal record.
- Compare Smith Station Freshman Center against another school. Compare schools
- Lee 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 Smith Station Freshman Center
How many students attend Smith Station Freshman Center?
Smith Station Freshman Center has 463 students enrolled. It is a high school in Smiths Station, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Smith Station Freshman Center?
The student-teacher ratio at Smith Station Freshman Center is 17.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% 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 Smith Station Freshman Center?
49.9% of students at Smith Station Freshman Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Smith Station Freshman Center?
Smith Station Freshman Center has a Resource Investment Index of 18/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Smith Station Freshman Center rank among public schools in Smiths Station?
By Resource Investment Index, Smith Station Freshman Center ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Smiths Station, 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 Smiths Station on the city page.
Is Smith Station Freshman Center a good school?
Smith Station Freshman Center earns 18/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Lee County?
Besides Smith Station Freshman Center, Lee County also operates Smiths Station High School (1,588 students), Smiths Station Junior High School (910 students), and West Smiths Station Elementary School (811 students). See the Lee 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.