Enrollment
657
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Vestavia Hills, AL
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge
Federal NCES profile for Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 51/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010343002481
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 12
📋 Attendance 89
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge earns 51/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 5
- schools in Vestavia Hills · Resource Index
- 51
- Resource Index · Higher
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 10.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge ranks #2 of 5 schools in Vestavia Hills, AL.
School address
District: Vestavia Hills City · Alabama
NCES ID 010343002481 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
39.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
10.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-81% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, enrolling 657 students.
At 16.8:1, 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.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 10.9% free-meal eligibility runs 81% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 657 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 53 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #9.
Its student body is predominantly White (82% of enrollment) (diversity index 32/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 438 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 4.6% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Vestavia Hills's public schools, it stands alongside East Elementary (771 students): Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.8:1 vs 17.1:1).
Vestavia Hills City also operates Vestavia Hills High School (1,625 students) and Pizitz Middle School (1,131 students) alongside Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge.
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 Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge compares
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 10.9% | ▼ 81% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 657 | top 25% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.8:1
Leaner classes than 32% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
657
Bigger than 77% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
10.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 81% below the Alabama average of 58.8%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
16.8:1
students per teacher
- 5% below state mean
Top 41% in Alabama - lower ratio than 59% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
4.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
Below 5%, comfortably under the pre-pandemic national baseline for chronic absenteeism.
Funding equity
$14,068
per pupil, district-wide
- above Alabama avg of $12,491
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 438 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
5
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.1 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 82.2%
African American 7.3%
Hispanic or Latino 5.0%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More 2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 82.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 31.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 31.5, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vestavia Hills City, which includes Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge.
$14,068
Per student
+13%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-15%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 52.1%
State 42.8%
Federal 5.1%
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 Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vestavia Hills High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Pizitz Middle School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| East Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| West Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Vestavia Hills High School Freshman Campus | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,625
- Students per teacher
- 14.3:1
- Resource Index
- 58/100
- Enrollment
- 1,131
- Students per teacher
- 15.5:1
- Resource Index
- 54/100
- Enrollment
- 771
- Students per teacher
- 17.1:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 691
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 50/100
- Enrollment
- 548
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 59/100
Similar other schools in Vestavia Hills
4 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
East Elementary
Standard public school
771 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
West Elementary
Standard public school
691 students 15.7:1 students per teacher
Liberty Park Elementary
Standard public school
546 students 14.8:1 students per teacher
Vestavia Hills Elementary Cahaba Heights
Standard public school
451 students 15:1 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 (~657 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge's federal record.
- Compare Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge against another school. Compare schools
- Vestavia Hills 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 Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge
How many students attend Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge?
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge has 657 students enrolled. It is a public school in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge?
The student-teacher ratio at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge is 16.8:1, which is 5% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 7% 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 Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge?
10.9% of students at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge?
The largest demographic group at Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge is White at 82.2% of enrollment, in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge?
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge 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 Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge rank among schools in Vestavia Hills?
By Resource Investment Index, Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge ranks #2 of 5 schools in Vestavia Hills, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Vestavia Hills on the city page.
Is Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge a good school?
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge 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 Vestavia Hills City?
Besides Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, Vestavia Hills City also operates Vestavia Hills High School (1,625 students), Pizitz Middle School (1,131 students), and East Elementary (771 students). See the Vestavia Hills 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.