Enrollment
621
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Harvest, AL
Sparkman Ninth Grade School
Federal NCES profile for Sparkman Ninth Grade School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 23/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010222001821
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 5
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Sparkman Ninth Grade School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #6 of 6
- public schools in Harvest · Resource Index
- 23
- Resource Index · Lower
- 17.3:1
- students per teacher
- 37.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Sparkman Ninth Grade School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman Ninth Grade School ranks #6 of 6 public schools in Harvest, AL.
School address
District: Madison County · Alabama
NCES ID 010222001821 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
36.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-2% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.5%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-36% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Sparkman Ninth Grade School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Sparkman Ninth Grade School
Sparkman Ninth Grade School is a mid-sized high school in Harvest, Alabama, enrolling 621 students.
At 17.3:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 37.5% free-meal eligibility runs 36% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 621 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 280 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #253, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (37%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 1 Advanced Placement course.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 621 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.8% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Discipline events run high: 162 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 621 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Harvest's high schools, it stands alongside Sparkman High School (1,770 students): Sparkman Ninth Grade School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.3:1 vs 19.5:1).
Madison County also operates Sparkman High School (1,770 students) and Hazel Green High School (1,454 students) alongside Sparkman Ninth Grade 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 Ninth Grade School compares
Sparkman Ninth Grade 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 | 17.3:1 | ▼ 2% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.5% | ▼ 36% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 621 | top 28% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.3:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
621
Bigger than 75% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 36% 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
17.3:1
students per teacher
- 2% below state mean
Top 49% in Alabama - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
19.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 621 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
92
in-school suspensions + 70 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 26.1 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 41.5%
African American 36.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
Two or More 6.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native 2.9%
Asian 0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 41.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 67.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 67.4, Sparkman Ninth Grade School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 1
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Madison County, which includes Sparkman Ninth Grade 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 Ninth Grade School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparkman High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Hazel Green High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Buckhorn High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Meridianville Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Monrovia Middle School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Sparkman Ninth Grade School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,770
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- 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
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 (~621 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Sparkman Ninth Grade School's federal record.
- Compare Sparkman Ninth Grade 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 Ninth Grade School
How many students attend Sparkman Ninth Grade School?
Sparkman Ninth Grade School has 621 students enrolled. It is a high school in Harvest, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sparkman Ninth Grade School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sparkman Ninth Grade School is 17.3:1, which is 2% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 10% 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 Sparkman Ninth Grade School?
37.5% of students at Sparkman Ninth Grade School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Sparkman Ninth Grade School?
The largest demographic group at Sparkman Ninth Grade School is White at 41.5% of enrollment, in Harvest, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 67.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Sparkman Ninth Grade School?
Sparkman Ninth Grade School has a Resource Investment Index of 23/100 (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 Sparkman Ninth Grade School rank among public schools in Harvest?
By Resource Investment Index, Sparkman Ninth Grade School ranks #6 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 Ninth Grade School a good school?
Sparkman Ninth Grade School earns 23/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Madison County?
Besides Sparkman Ninth Grade School, Madison County also operates Sparkman High School (1,770 students), Hazel Green High School (1,454 students), and Buckhorn High School (1,320 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.