Enrollment
564
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lanett, AL
W O Lance Elementary
Federal NCES profile for W O Lance Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 27/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010198001544
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 6
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
W O Lance Elementary earns 27/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Lanett · Resource Index
- 27
- Resource Index · Lower
- 16.6:1
- students per teacher
- 87.1%
- free-lunch eligible
W O Lance Elementary has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, W O Lance Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Lanett, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
34.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.6:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-6% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
87.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+48% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How W O Lance Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at W O Lance Elementary
W O Lance Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lanett, Alabama, enrolling 564 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.6:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need is high: 87.1% of students qualify for free meals, 48% above the Alabama average, a Title I-weighted population that federal funding formulas prioritise.
Enrollment of 564 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 193 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #136.
Its student body is led by African American (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (31%) (diversity index 54/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 564 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 37.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.5% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 218 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 564 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 1 expulsion at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Lanett's public schools, it stands alongside Huguley Elementary School (383 students): W O Lance Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.6:1 vs 16.7:1).
Lanett City also operates Lanett Senior High School (260 students) and Lanett Junior High School (147 students) alongside W O Lance Elementary.
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 W O Lance Elementary compares
W O Lance Elementary on the metrics families compare, against Alabama and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Alabama | Alabama avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 16.6:1 | ▼ 6% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 87.1% | ▲ 48% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 564 | top 35% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.6:1
Leaner classes than 33% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
564
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
87.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 48% above the Alabama average of 58.8%
Well above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold, among the highest-need profiles in the state; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
16.6:1
students per teacher
- 6% below state mean
Top 37% in Alabama - lower ratio than 63% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
37.8%
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
$11,507
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 564 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
181
in-school suspensions + 37 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 32.1 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 38.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 1 expulsion.
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
African American 60.1%
Hispanic or Latino 31.4%
White 4.8%
Two or More 3.7%
Largest group: African American at 60.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 53.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 53.7, W O Lance Elementary is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Lanett City, which includes W O Lance Elementary.
$11,507
Per student
-8%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-31%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 23.8%
State 49.7%
Federal 26.5%
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 W O Lance Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lanett Senior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Lanett Junior High School | Smaller | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to W O Lance Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 260
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
- Enrollment
- 147
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
Similar other schools in Lanett
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 (~564 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on W O Lance Elementary's federal record.
- Compare W O Lance Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Lanett 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 W O Lance Elementary
How many students attend W O Lance Elementary?
W O Lance Elementary has 564 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lanett, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at W O Lance Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at W O Lance Elementary is 16.6:1, which is 6% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 6% 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 W O Lance Elementary?
87.1% of students at W O Lance Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of W O Lance Elementary?
The largest demographic group at W O Lance Elementary is African American at 60.1% of enrollment, in Lanett, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 53.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for W O Lance Elementary?
W O Lance Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 27/100 (lower 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 W O Lance Elementary rank among public schools in Lanett?
By Resource Investment Index, W O Lance Elementary ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Lanett, 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 Lanett on the city page.
Is W O Lance Elementary a good school?
W O Lance Elementary earns 27/100 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 Lanett City?
Besides W O Lance Elementary, Lanett City also operates Lanett Senior High School (260 students) and Lanett Junior High School (147 students). See the Lanett 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.