Enrollment
437
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Pell City, AL
Walter M Kennedy School
Federal NCES profile for Walter M Kennedy School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 44/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010265001722
👥 S:T ratio 33
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 13
📋 Attendance 60
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Walter M Kennedy School earns 44/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median.
- #2 of 7
- public schools in Pell City · Resource Index
- 44
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.8:1
- students per teacher
- 60.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Walter M Kennedy School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Walter M Kennedy School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Pell City, AL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
26.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-5% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+2% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Walter M Kennedy School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Walter M Kennedy School
Walter M Kennedy School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Pell City, Alabama, enrolling 437 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.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.1% lands close to the Alabama typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 437 students, its enrollment sits close to the Alabama median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 458 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #122.
Its student body is led by White (74%) and African American (17%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 437 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
16.2% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Pell City's public schools, it stands alongside Eden Elementary School (346 students): Walter M Kennedy School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (16.8:1 vs 15:1).
Pell City also operates Pell City High School (1,193 students) and Duran Junior High School (601 students) alongside Walter M Kennedy 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 Walter M Kennedy School compares
Walter M Kennedy 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 | 16.8:1 | ▼ 5% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.1% | ▲ 2% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 437 | top 57% | - | - |
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.
437
Bigger than 53% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 2% 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
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
16.2%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,747
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 437 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
8
in-school suspensions + 12 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 1.8 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.6 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 74.4%
African American 17.2%
Two or More 5.3%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%
Asian 0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 74.4% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.4, Walter M Kennedy School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Pell City, which includes Walter M Kennedy School.
$10,747
Per student
-14%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-35%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 21.2%
State 62.5%
Federal 16.2%
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 Walter M Kennedy School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pell City High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Duran Junior High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Williams Intermediate School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Coosa Valley Elementary School | Similar size | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Iola Roberts Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Walter M Kennedy School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,193
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 601
- Students per teacher
- 40.1:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 598
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 404
- Students per teacher
- 15:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students per teacher
- 19.1:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
Similar other schools in Pell City
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 (~437 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~16.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Walter M Kennedy School's federal record.
- Compare Walter M Kennedy School against another school. Compare schools
- Pell 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 Walter M Kennedy School
How many students attend Walter M Kennedy School?
Walter M Kennedy School has 437 students enrolled. It is a public school in Pell City, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Walter M Kennedy School?
The student-teacher ratio at Walter M Kennedy School 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 Walter M Kennedy School?
60.1% of students at Walter M Kennedy School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Walter M Kennedy School?
The largest demographic group at Walter M Kennedy School is White at 74.4% of enrollment, in Pell City, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Walter M Kennedy School?
Walter M Kennedy School has a Resource Investment Index of 44/100 (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 Walter M Kennedy School rank among public schools in Pell City?
By Resource Investment Index, Walter M Kennedy School ranks #2 of 7 public schools in Pell City, 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 Pell City on the city page.
Is Walter M Kennedy School a good school?
Walter M Kennedy School earns 44/100 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 Pell City?
Besides Walter M Kennedy School, Pell City also operates Pell City High School (1,193 students), Duran Junior High School (601 students), and Williams Intermediate School (598 students). See the Pell 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.