Enrollment
1,847
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Huntsville, AL
Virgil Grissom High School
Federal NCES profile for Virgil Grissom High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 010180000629
👥 S:T ratio 22
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 38
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Virgil Grissom High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Alabama schools. It is also one of the largest schools in Alabama.
- #5 of 6
- high schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.6:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 41.3%
- free-lunch eligible
Virgil Grissom High School has class sizes larger than 79% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Virgil Grissom High School ranks #5 of 6 high schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180000629 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
94.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
41.3%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-30% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Virgil Grissom High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Virgil Grissom High School
Virgil Grissom High School is a large high school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 1,847 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.6:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 41.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in Alabama, bigger than 99% of state schools at 1,847 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 33 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #14.
Its student body is led by White (52%) and Hispanic or Latino (21%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 65/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 25 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 462 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 24.7% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 17.2% 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 20 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Huntsville's high schools, it stands alongside Huntsville High School (1,807 students): Virgil Grissom High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.6:1 vs 18.3:1).
Huntsville City also operates Huntsville High School (1,807 students) and Providence Elementary (1,152 students) alongside Virgil Grissom 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 Virgil Grissom High School compares
Virgil Grissom 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 | 19.6:1 | ▲ 11% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 41.3% | ▼ 30% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,847 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.6:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,847
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
41.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 30% 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
19.6:1
students per teacher
- 11% above state mean
Top 79% in Alabama - lower ratio than 21% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
24.7%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$12,033
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
Counselors4.0 FTE
Per 462 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
68
in-school suspensions + 79 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 8.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 20 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 51.7%
Hispanic or Latino 20.8%
African American 17.4%
Two or More 6.5%
Asian 3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 51.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 65.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 65.4, Virgil Grissom High School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 25
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Virgil Grissom High School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 Virgil Grissom High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville High School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Lee High School | Smaller | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Virgil Grissom High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 877
- Students per teacher
- 19.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar high schools in Huntsville
5 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Huntsville High School
Standard public school
1,807 students 18.3:1 students per teacher
Columbia High School
Standard public school
916 students 17.3:1 students per teacher
Lee High School
Standard public school
877 students 19.5:1 students per teacher
Jemison High School
Standard public school
858 students 18.7:1 students per teacher
New Century Technology High School
Standard public school
366 students 13.6:1 students per teacher
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 (~1,847 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~19.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Virgil Grissom High School's federal record.
- Compare Virgil Grissom High School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville 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 Virgil Grissom High School
How many students attend Virgil Grissom High School?
Virgil Grissom High School has 1,847 students enrolled. It is a high school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Virgil Grissom High School?
The student-teacher ratio at Virgil Grissom High School is 19.6:1, which is 11% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 25% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Virgil Grissom High School?
41.3% of students at Virgil Grissom High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Virgil Grissom High School?
The largest demographic group at Virgil Grissom High School is White at 51.7% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 65.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Virgil Grissom High School?
Virgil Grissom High School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Virgil Grissom High School rank among high schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Virgil Grissom High School ranks #5 of 6 high schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Virgil Grissom High School a good school?
Virgil Grissom High School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 79% of Alabama schools. 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Virgil Grissom High School, Huntsville City also operates Huntsville High School (1,807 students), Providence Elementary (1,152 students), and Goldsmithschiffman Elementary (935 students). See the Huntsville 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.