Enrollment
541
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Russellville, AL
Tharptown Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Tharptown Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010159000547
👥 S:T ratio 36
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 47
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Tharptown Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools.
- #4 of 4
- schools in Russellville · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 15.9:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 70.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Tharptown Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 73% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Tharptown Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Russellville, AL.
School address
District: Franklin County · Alabama
NCES ID 010159000547 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-10% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
70.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+20% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Tharptown Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Tharptown Elementary School
Tharptown Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Russellville, Alabama, enrolling 541 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.9:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 70.7% of students eligible for free meals.
With 541 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 409 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #340, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (48%) and White (47%) (diversity index 55/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 541 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 21.1% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 21.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Russellville's public schools, it stands alongside West Elementary School (686 students): Tharptown Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.9:1 vs 16:1).
Franklin County also operates Belgreen High School (588 students) and Phil Campbell Elementary School (441 students) alongside Tharptown 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 Tharptown Elementary School compares
Tharptown 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 | 15.9:1 | ▼ 10% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 70.7% | ▲ 20% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 541 | top 39% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.9:1
Leaner classes than 39% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
541
Bigger than 67% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
70.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 20% 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
15.9:1
students per teacher
- 10% below state mean
Top 27% in Alabama - lower ratio than 73% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
21.1%
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
$12,544
per pupil, district-wide
- above 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 541 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
Hispanic or Latino 47.7%
White 46.8%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 55.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 55.2, Tharptown Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Franklin County, which includes Tharptown Elementary School.
$12,544
Per student
+0%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-24%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 19.0%
State 59.7%
Federal 21.3%
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 Tharptown Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgreen High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phil Campbell Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Tharptown High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Red Bay Elementary | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Phil Campbell High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Tharptown Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 588
- Students per teacher
- 16.3:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 441
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 31/100
- Enrollment
- 410
- Students per teacher
- 14.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 382
- Students per teacher
- 15.3:1
- Resource Index
- 24/100
Similar other schools in Russellville
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 (~541 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Tharptown Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Tharptown Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Franklin 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 Tharptown Elementary School
How many students attend Tharptown Elementary School?
Tharptown Elementary School has 541 students enrolled. It is a public school in Russellville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Tharptown Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Tharptown Elementary School is 15.9:1, which is 10% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 1% 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 Tharptown Elementary School?
70.7% of students at Tharptown Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Tharptown Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Tharptown Elementary School is Hispanic or Latino at 47.7% of enrollment, in Russellville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 55.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Tharptown Elementary School?
Tharptown Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 Tharptown Elementary School rank among schools in Russellville?
By Resource Investment Index, Tharptown Elementary School ranks #4 of 4 schools in Russellville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Russellville on the city page.
Is Tharptown Elementary School a good school?
Tharptown Elementary School earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 73% 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 Franklin County?
Besides Tharptown Elementary School, Franklin County also operates Belgreen High School (588 students), Phil Campbell Elementary School (441 students), and Tharptown High School (410 students). See the Franklin 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.