Enrollment
736
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Lester, AL
West Limestone High School
Federal NCES profile for West Limestone High School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010210000810
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 26
📋 Attendance 17
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
West Limestone High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of Alabama schools.
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.9:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 52.5%
- free-lunch eligible
- 736
- students enrolled
West Limestone High School has class sizes larger than 83% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Limestone County · Alabama
NCES ID 010210000810 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
37.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.9:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
52.5%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-11% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How West Limestone High School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at West Limestone High School
West Limestone High School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Lester, Alabama, enrolling 736 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.9:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 52.5% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 736 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.
Among 382 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #276, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (75%) and Hispanic or Latino (18%) (diversity index 41/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 368 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 33.3% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
The surrounding Limestone County spends $8,021 per pupil, 36% below the Alabama average, a leaner-resourced district than most.
Discipline events run high: 203 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 736 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Among Lester's public schools, it stands alongside Sugar Creek Elementary School (631 students): West Limestone High School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.9:1 vs 14.7:1).
Limestone County also operates Alabama Connections Academy (7,822 students) and East Limestone High School (1,216 students) alongside West Limestone 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 West Limestone High School compares
West Limestone 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 | 19.9:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 52.5% | ▼ 11% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 736 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.9:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
736
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
52.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 11% 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
19.9:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 83% in Alabama - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
33.3%
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
$8,021
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 368 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
120
in-school suspensions + 83 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 16.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 27.6 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 74.5%
Hispanic or Latino 17.9%
Two or More 3.1%
African American 2.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%
Asian 0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%
Largest group: White at 74.5% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 41.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 41.1, West Limestone High School is about as mixed as the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
AP courses offered 8
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Limestone County, which includes West Limestone High School.
$8,021
Per student
-36%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-52%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.4%
State 61.6%
Federal 11.1%
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 Limestone High School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Connections Academy | Larger | Higher economic need | No ratio data |
| East Limestone High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ardmore High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Sugar Creek Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Elkmont Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to West Limestone High School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 7,822
- Students per teacher
- -
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,216
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 964
- Students per teacher
- 21:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 631
- Students per teacher
- 14.7:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 599
- Students per teacher
- 25:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
Similar other schools in Lester
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 (~736 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on West Limestone High School's federal record.
- Compare West Limestone High School against another school. Compare schools
- Limestone County'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 Limestone High School
How many students attend West Limestone High School?
West Limestone High School has 736 students enrolled. It is a public school in Lester, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at West Limestone High School?
The student-teacher ratio at West Limestone High School is 19.9:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 27% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at West Limestone High School?
52.5% of students at West Limestone High School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of West Limestone High School?
The largest demographic group at West Limestone High School is White at 74.5% of enrollment, in Lester, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for West Limestone High School?
West Limestone High School has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
Is West Limestone High School a good school?
West Limestone High School earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% 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 Limestone County?
Besides West Limestone High School, Limestone County also operates Alabama Connections Academy (7,822 students), East Limestone High School (1,216 students), and Ardmore High School (964 students). See the Limestone County 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.