Enrollment
2,060
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Alabaster, AL
Thompson High School
Federal NCES profile for Thompson High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 48/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010019001183
👥 S:T ratio 35
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 18
📋 Attendance 59
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thompson High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Alabaster · Resource Index
- 48
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.3:1
- students per teacher
- 43.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Thompson High School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thompson High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Alabaster, AL.
School address
District: Alabaster City · Alabama
NCES ID 010019001183 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
126.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.3:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-8% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thompson High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thompson High School
Thompson High School is a large high school in Alabaster, Alabama, enrolling 2,060 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.3:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.0% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 99% of state schools at 2,060 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 22 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #5.
Its student body is led by White (48%) and African American (25%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 22 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 412 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Alabaster City also operates Thompson Middle School (1,444 students) and Creek View Elementary School (958 students) alongside Thompson 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 Thompson High School compares
Thompson 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 | 16.3:1 | ▼ 8% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.0% | ▼ 27% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 2,060 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.3:1
Leaner classes than 36% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
2,060
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
16.3:1
students per teacher
- 8% below state mean
Top 32% in Alabama - lower ratio than 68% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
16.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,376
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 412 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
167
in-school suspensions + 152 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 8.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 15.5 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.
Student demographics
White 48.2%
African American 25.3%
Hispanic or Latino 22.9%
Two or More 1.8%
Asian 1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 48.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.1, Thompson High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 22
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Alabaster City, which includes Thompson High School.
$12,376
Per student
-1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-25%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 39.8%
State 50.3%
Federal 9.9%
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 Thompson High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson Middle School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Creek View Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Meadow View Elementary School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Thompson Intermediate School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thompson High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,444
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 958
- Students per teacher
- 16.5:1
- Resource Index
- 46/100
- Enrollment
- 953
- Students per teacher
- 16.4:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 901
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
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 (~2,060 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thompson High School's federal record.
- Compare Thompson High School against another school. Compare schools
- Alabaster City'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 Thompson High School
How many students attend Thompson High School?
Thompson High School has 2,060 students enrolled. It is a high school in Alabaster, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thompson High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thompson High School is 16.3:1, which is 8% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 4% 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 Thompson High School?
43.0% of students at Thompson High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thompson High School?
The largest demographic group at Thompson High School is White at 48.2% of enrollment, in Alabaster, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thompson High School?
Thompson High School has a Resource Investment Index of 48/100 (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 Thompson High School rank among public schools in Alabaster?
By Resource Investment Index, Thompson High School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Alabaster, 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 Alabaster on the city page.
Is Thompson High School a good school?
Thompson High School earns 48/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Alabaster City?
Besides Thompson High School, Alabaster City also operates Thompson Middle School (1,444 students), Creek View Elementary School (958 students), and Meadow View Elementary School (953 students). See the Alabaster City 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.