Enrollment
379
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Huntsville, AL
Whitesburg Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Whitesburg Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 47/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010180000653
👥 S:T ratio 34
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 24
📋 Attendance 62
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Whitesburg Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most Alabama schools.
- #9 of 29
- schools in Huntsville · Resource Index
- 47
- Resource Index · Typical
- 16.5:1
- students per teacher
- 37.1%
- free-lunch eligible
Whitesburg Elementary School has class sizes near the Alabama median. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Whitesburg Elementary School ranks #9 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL.
School address
District: Huntsville City · Alabama
NCES ID 010180000653 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
23.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
16.5:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
37.1%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Whitesburg Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Whitesburg Elementary School
Whitesburg Elementary School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Huntsville, Alabama, enrolling 379 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 16.5:1 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 37.1% free-meal eligibility runs 37% below the Alabama average.
Enrollment of 379 puts it in the smaller third of Alabama schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,365 scored Alabama schools.
Against 181 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #42.
Its student body is led by African American (51%) and White (31%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 63/100).
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 379 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
15.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 17.2% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Huntsville's public schools, it stands alongside Providence Elementary (1,152 students): Whitesburg Elementary School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (16.5:1 vs 24.5:1).
Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students) and Huntsville High School (1,807 students) alongside Whitesburg 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 Whitesburg Elementary School compares
Whitesburg 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 | 16.5:1 | ▼ 7% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 37.1% | ▼ 37% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 379 | top 68% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
16.5:1
Leaner classes than 34% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
379
Bigger than 44% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
37.1%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
16.5:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in Alabama - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
15.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$12,033
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 379 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 3 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.8 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 50.9%
White 30.9%
Hispanic or Latino 8.7%
Two or More 8.7%
Asian 0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
Largest group: African American at 50.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.0, Whitesburg Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Huntsville City, which includes Whitesburg Elementary School.
$12,033
Per student
-4%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-27%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 43.6%
State 39.2%
Federal 17.2%
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 Whitesburg Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgil Grissom High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Huntsville High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Providence Elementary | Larger | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Goldsmithschiffman Elementary | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Columbia High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Whitesburg Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,847
- Students per teacher
- 19.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,807
- Students per teacher
- 18.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,152
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 935
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 916
- Students per teacher
- 17.3:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
Similar other schools in Huntsville
6 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Providence Elementary
Standard public school
1,152 students 24.5:1 students per teacher
Mt Carmel Elementary School
Standard public school
638 students 17.2:1 students per teacher
Central School
Standard public school
610 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Monrovia Elementary School
Standard public school
600 students 21.4:1 students per teacher
Blossomwood Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 16.1:1 students per teacher
Riverton Elementary School
Standard public school
596 students 19.2:1 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 (~379 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Whitesburg Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Whitesburg Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Huntsville 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 Whitesburg Elementary School
How many students attend Whitesburg Elementary School?
Whitesburg Elementary School has 379 students enrolled. It is a public school in Huntsville, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Whitesburg Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Whitesburg Elementary School is 16.5:1, which is 7% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 5% 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 Whitesburg Elementary School?
37.1% of students at Whitesburg Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Whitesburg Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Whitesburg Elementary School is African American at 50.9% of enrollment, in Huntsville, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.0/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Whitesburg Elementary School?
Whitesburg Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 47/100 (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 Whitesburg Elementary School rank among schools in Huntsville?
By Resource Investment Index, Whitesburg Elementary School ranks #9 of 29 schools in Huntsville, AL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Huntsville on the city page.
Is Whitesburg Elementary School a good school?
Whitesburg Elementary School earns 47/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Alabama median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most 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 Huntsville City?
Besides Whitesburg Elementary School, Huntsville City also operates Virgil Grissom High School (1,847 students), Huntsville High School (1,807 students), and Providence Elementary (1,152 students). See the Huntsville 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.