Enrollment
277
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Bessemer, AL
Westhills Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Westhills Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 010033000090
👥 S:T ratio 21
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 45
📋 Attendance 0
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Westhills Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools.
- #8 of 12
- public schools in Bessemer · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 19.8:1
- large classes for Alabama
- 71.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Westhills Elementary School has class sizes larger than 82% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Westhills Elementary School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, AL.
School address
District: Bessemer City · Alabama
NCES ID 010033000090 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
14.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
19.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
+12% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
71.7%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+22% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Westhills Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Westhills Elementary School
Westhills Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Bessemer, Alabama, enrolling 277 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 19.8:1 puts it in the larger third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 71.7% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 277 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Among 231 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Alabama schools statewide, it ranks #183, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly African American (85% of enrollment) (diversity index 26/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 277 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 41.5% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 26.3% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Bessemer's elementary schools, it stands alongside Greenwood Elementary School (290 students): Westhills Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (19.8:1 vs 18.1:1).
Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students) and Bessemer City Middle School (616 students) alongside Westhills Elementary 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 Westhills Elementary School compares
Westhills Elementary 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 | 19.8:1 | ▲ 12% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 71.7% | ▲ 22% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 277 | top 84% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
19.8:1
Leaner classes than 17% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
277
Bigger than 29% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
71.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 22% 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
19.8:1
students per teacher
- 12% above state mean
Top 82% in Alabama - lower ratio than 18% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
41.5%
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
$13,580
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
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 277 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.4 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
African American 85.2%
Hispanic or Latino 11.9%
White 1.4%
Two or More 1.4%
Largest group: African American at 85.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 26.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 26.0, Westhills Elementary School is less mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Bessemer City, which includes Westhills Elementary School.
$13,580
Per student
+9%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-18%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 27.2%
State 46.5%
Federal 26.3%
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 Westhills Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer City High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Bessemer City Middle School | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Jonesboro Elementary School | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Charles F Hard Elementary School | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Greenwood Elementary School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Westhills Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 760
- Students per teacher
- 20.5:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 616
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 474
- Students per teacher
- 15.8:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 364
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 290
- Students per teacher
- 18.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar elementary schools in Bessemer
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary 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 (~277 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Westhills Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Westhills Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Bessemer 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 Westhills Elementary School
How many students attend Westhills Elementary School?
Westhills Elementary School has 277 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Bessemer, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Westhills Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Westhills Elementary School is 19.8:1, which is 12% higher than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 26% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Westhills Elementary School?
71.7% of students at Westhills Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Westhills Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Westhills Elementary School is African American at 85.2% of enrollment, in Bessemer, AL.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Westhills Elementary School?
Westhills Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (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 Westhills Elementary School rank among public schools in Bessemer?
By Resource Investment Index, Westhills Elementary School ranks #8 of 12 public schools in Bessemer, 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 Bessemer on the city page.
Is Westhills Elementary School a good school?
Westhills Elementary School earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 82% 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 Bessemer City?
Besides Westhills Elementary School, Bessemer City also operates Bessemer City High School (760 students), Bessemer City Middle School (616 students), and Jonesboro Elementary School (474 students). See the Bessemer 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.