Enrollment
104
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Hartselle, AL
Sparkman Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Sparkman Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 55/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010248001050
👥 S:T ratio 48
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 79
📋 Attendance 23
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparkman Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama.
- #1 of 4
- schools in Hartselle · Resource Index
- 55
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 70.2%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparkman Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 95% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Hartselle, AL.
School address
District: Morgan County · Alabama
NCES ID 010248001050 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
8.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-27% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.2%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparkman Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparkman Elementary School
Sparkman Elementary School is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Hartselle, Alabama, enrolling 104 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13:1, Sparkman Elementary School is leaner than roughly 95% of Alabama schools and 27% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 98% of Alabama schools, with 104 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 1,365 Alabama schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Counselor coverage is strong, about 104 students per counselor, inside the American School Counselor Association's recommended 250:1.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 30.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Hartselle's public schools, it stands alongside Crestline Elementary School (710 students): Sparkman Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13:1 vs 17.3:1).
Morgan County also operates Albert P Brewer High School (757 students) and Priceville Elementary School (674 students) alongside Sparkman 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 Sparkman Elementary School compares
Sparkman 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 | 13:1 | ▼ 27% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.2% | ▲ 19% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 104 | top 98% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13:1
Leaner classes than 67% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
104
Bigger than 10% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
13:1
students per teacher
- 27% below state mean
Top 5% in Alabama - lower ratio than 95% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
30.8%
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
$11,155
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 104 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 10 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 2.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 12.5 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.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Morgan County, which includes Sparkman Elementary School.
$11,155
Per student
-11%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-33%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.2%
State 52.6%
Federal 13.2%
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 Sparkman Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert P Brewer High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Priceville Elementary School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Morgan Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West Morgan Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Priceville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparkman Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 757
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 674
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 24.4:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 512
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 506
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar other schools in Hartselle
3 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
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 (~104 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~13:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparkman Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Sparkman Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Morgan 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 Sparkman Elementary School
How many students attend Sparkman Elementary School?
Sparkman Elementary School has 104 students enrolled. It is a public school in Hartselle, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparkman Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparkman Elementary School is 13:1, which is 27% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 17% 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 Sparkman Elementary School?
70.2% of students at Sparkman Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparkman Elementary School?
Sparkman Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 55/100 (higher 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 Sparkman Elementary School rank among schools in Hartselle?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman Elementary School ranks #1 of 4 schools in Hartselle, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Hartselle on the city page.
Is Sparkman Elementary School a good school?
Sparkman Elementary School earns 55/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 95% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in Alabama. 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 Morgan County?
Besides Sparkman Elementary School, Morgan County also operates Albert P Brewer High School (757 students), Priceville Elementary School (674 students), and West Morgan Middle School (561 students). See the Morgan 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.