Enrollment
691
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Vestavia Hills, AL
West Elementary
Federal NCES profile for West Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 50/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010343001303
👥 S:T ratio 37
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 86
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% of Alabama schools.
- #4 of 5
- schools in Vestavia Hills · Resource Index
- 50
- Resource Index · Higher
- 15.7:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 13.0%
- free-lunch eligible
West Elementary has class sizes smaller than 76% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #4 of 5 schools in Vestavia Hills, AL.
School address
District: Vestavia Hills City · Alabama
NCES ID 010343001303 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
44.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.7:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-11% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
13.0%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-78% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Elementary compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Elementary
West Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, enrolling 691 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 15.7:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 13.0% free-meal eligibility runs 78% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 691 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 68 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #13.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Asian (9%) (diversity index 42/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 5.6% 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): West Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (15.7:1 vs 17.1:1).
Vestavia Hills City also operates Vestavia Hills High School (1,625 students) and Pizitz Middle School (1,131 students) alongside West 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 West Elementary compares
West 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 | 15.7:1 | ▼ 11% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 13.0% | ▼ 78% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 691 | top 22% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.7:1
Leaner classes than 41% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
691
Bigger than 80% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
13.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 78% 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
15.7:1
students per teacher
- 11% below state mean
Top 24% in Alabama - lower ratio than 76% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
5.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
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 461 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
6
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.9 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.2 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 75.3%
Asian 9.0%
Two or More 5.6%
African American 5.1%
Hispanic or Latino 4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: White at 75.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.7, West Elementary is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Vestavia Hills City, which includes West Elementary.
$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 West Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vestavia Hills High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar 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 |
| Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge | 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 West Elementary'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
- 657
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 51/100
- 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
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge
Standard public school
657 students 16.8:1 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 (~691 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~15.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Elementary's federal record.
- Compare West Elementary 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 West Elementary
How many students attend West Elementary?
West Elementary has 691 students enrolled. It is a public school in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at West Elementary is 15.7:1, which is 11% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 0% 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 West Elementary?
13.0% of students at West Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Elementary?
The largest demographic group at West Elementary is White at 75.3% of enrollment, in Vestavia Hills, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Elementary?
West Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 50/100 (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 West Elementary rank among schools in Vestavia Hills?
By Resource Investment Index, West Elementary ranks #4 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 West Elementary a good school?
West Elementary earns 50/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 76% 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 Vestavia Hills City?
Besides West Elementary, 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.