Enrollment
602
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Jasper, AL
Valley Junior High School
Federal NCES profile for Valley Junior High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 39/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010345001611
👥 S:T ratio 25
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Valley Junior High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% of Alabama schools.
- #1 of 3
- schools in Jasper · Resource Index
- 39
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 65.6%
- free-lunch eligible
Valley Junior High School has class sizes larger than 71% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Jasper, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
32.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
65.6%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Valley Junior High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Valley Junior High School
Valley Junior High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Jasper, Alabama, enrolling 602 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 18.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 65.6% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 602 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 422 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #159.
Its student body is led by White (68%) and Hispanic or Latino (25%) (diversity index 48/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 602 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 18 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Jasper's public schools, it stands alongside Curry Elementary School (550 students): Valley Junior High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (18.8:1 vs 17.2:1).
Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students) and Curry Elementary School (550 students) alongside Valley Junior 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 Valley Junior High School compares
Valley Junior 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 | 18.8:1 | ▲ 6% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 65.6% | ▲ 12% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 602 | top 29% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18.8:1
Leaner classes than 21% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
602
Bigger than 73% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
65.6%
free-lunch eligible
- 12% 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
18.8:1
students per teacher
- 6% above state mean
Top 71% in Alabama - lower ratio than 29% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,315
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 602 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 9 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 18 expulsions.
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 67.8%
Hispanic or Latino 24.9%
Two or More 4.3%
African American 2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
Largest group: White at 67.8% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 47.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 47.6, Valley Junior High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Walker County, which includes Valley Junior High School.
$12,315
Per student
-1%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-26%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 24.5%
State 57.8%
Federal 17.8%
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 Valley Junior High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sumiton Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Curry Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Dora High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sumiton Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Carbon Hill Elementaryjunior High School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Valley Junior High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 720
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 550
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 476
- Students per teacher
- 19.8:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 475
- Students per teacher
- 17.6:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools in Jasper
2 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 (~602 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Valley Junior High School's federal record.
- Compare Valley Junior High School against another school. Compare schools
- Walker 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 Valley Junior High School
How many students attend Valley Junior High School?
Valley Junior High School has 602 students enrolled. It is a public school in Jasper, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Valley Junior High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Valley Junior High School is 18.8:1, which is 6% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 20% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Valley Junior High School?
65.6% of students at Valley Junior High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Valley Junior High School?
The largest demographic group at Valley Junior High School is White at 67.8% of enrollment, in Jasper, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Valley Junior High School?
Valley Junior High School has a Resource Investment Index of 39/100 (typical 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 Valley Junior High School rank among schools in Jasper?
By Resource Investment Index, Valley Junior High School ranks #1 of 3 schools in Jasper, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Jasper on the city page.
Is Valley Junior High School a good school?
Valley Junior High School earns 39/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 71% 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 Walker County?
Besides Valley Junior High School, Walker County also operates Sumiton Elementary School (720 students), Curry Elementary School (550 students), and Dora High School (476 students). See the Walker 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.