Enrollment
257
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Scottsboro, AL
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Thurston T Nelson Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010294001587
👥 S:T ratio 46
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 49
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% of Alabama schools.
- #2 of 6
- public schools in Scottsboro · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 13.5:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 43.8%
- free-lunch eligible
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 93% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Thurston T Nelson Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Scottsboro, AL.
School address
District: Scottsboro City · Alabama
NCES ID 010294001587 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
19.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
13.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
43.8%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-26% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Thurston T Nelson Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Thurston T Nelson Elementary School
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is a small combined-grade school in Scottsboro, Alabama, enrolling 257 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 13.5:1, Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is leaner than roughly 93% of Alabama schools and 24% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 43.8% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 257 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 96 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #32.
Its student body is led by White (76%) and Hispanic or Latino (11%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 257 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
10.5% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Scottsboro's public schools, it stands alongside Skyline High School (586 students): Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (13.5:1 vs 20.9:1).
Scottsboro City also operates Scottsboro High School (727 students) and Caldwell Elementary School (579 students) alongside Thurston T Nelson 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 Thurston T Nelson Elementary School compares
Thurston T Nelson 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 | 13.5:1 | ▼ 24% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 43.8% | ▼ 26% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 257 | top 87% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
13.5:1
Leaner classes than 62% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
257
Bigger than 26% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
43.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 26% 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
13.5:1
students per teacher
- 24% below state mean
Top 7% in Alabama - lower ratio than 93% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
10.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$12,267
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 257 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 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 75.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.3%
Two or More 5.4%
African American 5.1%
Asian 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%
Largest group: White at 75.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.1, Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Scottsboro City, which includes Thurston T Nelson Elementary School.
$12,267
Per student
-2%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 34.7%
State 48.8%
Federal 16.5%
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 Thurston T Nelson Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Caldwell Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Collins Intermediate School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Scottsboro Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Thurston T Nelson Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 727
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 579
- Students per teacher
- 15.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 538
- Students per teacher
- 18.6:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 356
- Students per teacher
- 17:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
Similar other schools in Scottsboro
1 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 (~257 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Thurston T Nelson Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Thurston T Nelson Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Scottsboro 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 Thurston T Nelson Elementary School
How many students attend Thurston T Nelson Elementary School?
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School has 257 students enrolled. It is a public school in Scottsboro, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Thurston T Nelson Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is 13.5:1, which is 24% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 14% 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 Thurston T Nelson Elementary School?
43.8% of students at Thurston T Nelson Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Thurston T Nelson Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Thurston T Nelson Elementary School is White at 75.5% of enrollment, in Scottsboro, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Thurston T Nelson Elementary School?
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 Thurston T Nelson Elementary School rank among public schools in Scottsboro?
By Resource Investment Index, Thurston T Nelson Elementary School ranks #2 of 6 public schools in Scottsboro, 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 Scottsboro on the city page.
Is Thurston T Nelson Elementary School a good school?
Thurston T Nelson Elementary School earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 93% 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 Scottsboro City?
Besides Thurston T Nelson Elementary School, Scottsboro City also operates Scottsboro High School (727 students), Caldwell Elementary School (579 students), and Collins Intermediate School (538 students). See the Scottsboro 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.