Enrollment
343
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Florence, AL
Underwood Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Underwood Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010201000773
👥 S:T ratio 32
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 31
📋 Attendance 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Underwood Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 10
- schools in Florence · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.1:1
- students per teacher
- 47.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Underwood Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 schools in Florence, AL.
School address
District: Lauderdale County · Alabama
NCES ID 010201000773 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.1:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-3% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
47.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-19% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Underwood Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Underwood Elementary School
Underwood Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Florence, Alabama, enrolling 343 students.
At 17.1:1, 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.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 47.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 343 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 261 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #38.
Its student body is predominantly White (90% of enrollment) (diversity index 18/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 343 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
12.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Florence's public schools, it stands alongside Forest Hills School (906 students): Underwood Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (17.1:1 vs 16.8:1).
Lauderdale County also operates Brooks Elementary School (874 students) and Lauderdale Elementary School (746 students) alongside Underwood 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 Underwood Elementary School compares
Underwood 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 | 17.1:1 | ▼ 3% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 47.7% | ▼ 19% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 343 | top 75% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.1:1
Leaner classes than 30% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
343
Bigger than 39% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
47.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 19% 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
17.1:1
students per teacher
- 3% below state mean
Top 46% in Alabama - lower ratio than 54% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
12.2%
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
$10,894
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 343 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: 0.6 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 90.4%
African American 3.8%
Two or More 3.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native 1.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.6%
Asian 0.3%
Largest group: White at 90.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 18.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 18.0, Underwood Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lauderdale County, which includes Underwood Elementary School.
$10,894
Per student
-13%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-34%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 25.4%
State 60.3%
Federal 14.3%
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 Underwood Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lauderdale Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Brooks High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Central High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Underwood Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 874
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 746
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 22/100
- Enrollment
- 729
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 713
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 596
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar other schools in Florence
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Forest Hills School
Standard public school
906 students 16.8:1 students per teacher
Central High School
Standard public school
596 students 14.9:1 students per teacher
Rogers Elementary School
Standard public school
592 students 17.9:1 students per teacher
Wilson High School
Standard public school
585 students 15:1 students per teacher
Wilson Elementary School
Standard public school
552 students 16.7:1 students per teacher
Rogers High School
Standard public school
510 students 15.5:1 students per teacher
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 (~343 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Underwood Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Underwood Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Lauderdale 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 Underwood Elementary School
How many students attend Underwood Elementary School?
Underwood Elementary School has 343 students enrolled. It is a public school in Florence, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Underwood Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Underwood Elementary School is 17.1:1, which is 3% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 9% 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 Underwood Elementary School?
47.7% of students at Underwood Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Underwood Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Underwood Elementary School is White at 90.4% of enrollment, in Florence, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Underwood Elementary School?
Underwood Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 51/100 (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 Underwood Elementary School rank among schools in Florence?
By Resource Investment Index, Underwood Elementary School ranks #2 of 10 schools in Florence, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Florence on the city page.
Is Underwood Elementary School a good school?
Underwood Elementary School earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. 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 Lauderdale County?
Besides Underwood Elementary School, Lauderdale County also operates Brooks Elementary School (874 students), Lauderdale Elementary School (746 students), and Brooks High School (729 students). See the Lauderdale 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.