Enrollment
1,770
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harvest, AL
Sparkman High School
Federal NCES profile for Sparkman High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010222000848
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 29
📋 Attendance 43
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparkman High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #5 of 6
- public schools in Harvest · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.5:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 32.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparkman High School has class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Harvest, AL.
School address
District: Madison County · Alabama
NCES ID 010222000848 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
91.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-46% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparkman High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparkman High School
Sparkman High School is a large high school in Harvest, Alabama, enrolling 1,770 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.5:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 32.0% free-meal eligibility runs 46% below the Alabama average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,770 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 41 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #28.
Its student body is led by White (44%) and African American (36%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 354 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.0% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Harvest's high schools, it stands alongside Sparkman Ninth Grade School (621 students): Sparkman High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.5:1 vs 17.3:1).
Madison County also operates Hazel Green High School (1,454 students) and Buckhorn High School (1,320 students) alongside Sparkman 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 Sparkman High School compares
Sparkman 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 | 19.5:1 | ▲ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.0% | ▼ 46% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,770 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.5:1
Leaner classes than 18% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,770
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 46% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
19.5:1
students per teacher
- 10% above state mean
Top 78% in Alabama - lower ratio than 22% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
23.0%
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
$10,543
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
Counselors5.0 FTE
Per 354 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
127
in-school suspensions + 77 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 7.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 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 43.9%
African American 35.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%
Two or More 5.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 3.1%
Asian 1.9%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 43.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.6, Sparkman High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Sparkman High School.
$10,543
Per student
-16%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 33.2%
State 55.4%
Federal 11.5%
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 Sparkman High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Green High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckhorn High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meridianville Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monrovia Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Hazel Green Elementary School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparkman High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,454
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 21/100
- Enrollment
- 1,320
- Students per teacher
- 19.7:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 1,100
- Students per teacher
- 32.4:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 988
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 963
- Students per teacher
- 24.7:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar high schools in Harvest
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 (~1,770 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparkman High School's federal record.
- Compare Sparkman High School against another school. Compare schools
- Madison 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 High School
How many students attend Sparkman High School?
Sparkman High School has 1,770 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harvest, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparkman High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparkman High School is 19.5:1, which is 10% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 24% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Sparkman High School?
32.0% of students at Sparkman High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparkman High School?
The largest demographic group at Sparkman High School is White at 43.9% of enrollment, in Harvest, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparkman High School?
Sparkman High School has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical 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 Sparkman High School rank among public schools in Harvest?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman High School ranks #5 of 6 public schools in Harvest, 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 Harvest on the city page.
Is Sparkman High School a good school?
Sparkman High School earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 78% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest 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 Madison County?
Besides Sparkman High School, Madison County also operates Hazel Green High School (1,454 students), Buckhorn High School (1,320 students), and Meridianville Middle School (1,100 students). See the Madison 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.