Enrollment
738
Alabama · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Fort Payne, AL
Wills Valley Elementary School
Federal NCES profile for Wills Valley Elementary School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 31/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 010156001365
👥 S:T ratio 41
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 2
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Wills Valley Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% of Alabama schools.
- #4 of 5
- public schools in Fort Payne · Resource Index
- 31
- Resource Index · Lower
- 14.8:1
- small classes for Alabama
- 68.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Wills Valley Elementary School has class sizes smaller than 85% of Alabama schools. Computed live against every Alabama school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Wills Valley Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Fort Payne, AL.
School address
District: Fort Payne City · Alabama
NCES ID 010156001365 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
50.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
14.8:1
vs 17.7:1 Alabama avg
-16% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.9%
vs 58.8% Alabama avg
+17% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Wills Valley Elementary School compares with Alabama and U.S. medians
What stands out at Wills Valley Elementary School
Wills Valley Elementary School is a higher-need, mid-sized combined-grade school in Fort Payne, Alabama, enrolling 738 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 14.8:1, Wills Valley Elementary School is leaner than roughly 85% of Alabama schools and 16% under the state's 17.7:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 68.9% of students eligible for free meals.
Enrollment of 738 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.
Against 310 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #209.
Its student body is led by White (49%) and Hispanic or Latino (43%) (diversity index 57/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 492 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 19.1% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Fort Payne's public schools, it stands alongside Williams Avenue Elementary School (131 students): Wills Valley Elementary School is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (14.8:1 vs 18.7:1).
Fort Payne City also operates Fort Payne High School (1,106 students) and Little Ridge Intermediate School (792 students) alongside Wills Valley 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 Wills Valley Elementary School compares
Wills Valley 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 | 14.8:1 | ▼ 16% | 17.7:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.9% | ▲ 17% | 58.8% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 738 | top 18% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
14.8:1
Leaner classes than 49% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
738
Bigger than 82% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 17% 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
14.8:1
students per teacher
- 16% below state mean
Top 15% in Alabama - lower ratio than 85% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$10,433
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
Counselors1.5 FTE
Per 492 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 1 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.1 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 49.3%
Hispanic or Latino 42.7%
Two or More 3.9%
African American 2.7%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%
Largest group: White at 49.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 57.2/100
Simpson diversity index - at 57.2, Wills Valley Elementary School is more mixed than the Alabama school average of 42.5.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Fort Payne City, which includes Wills Valley Elementary School.
$10,433
Per student
-16%
vs Alabama
Avg $12,491
-37%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 20.8%
State 60.1%
Federal 19.1%
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 Wills Valley Elementary School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Payne High School | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Little Ridge Intermediate School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Fort Payne Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Williams Avenue Elementary School | Smaller | No free-lunch data | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Wills Valley Elementary School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,106
- Students per teacher
- 17.8:1
- Resource Index
- 47/100
- Enrollment
- 792
- Students per teacher
- 18.4:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 741
- Students per teacher
- 15.1:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 131
- Students per teacher
- 18.7:1
- Resource Index
- 25/100
Similar other schools in Fort Payne
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 (~738 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Wills Valley Elementary School's federal record.
- Compare Wills Valley Elementary School against another school. Compare schools
- Fort Payne 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 Wills Valley Elementary School
How many students attend Wills Valley Elementary School?
Wills Valley Elementary School has 738 students enrolled. It is a public school in Fort Payne, AL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Wills Valley Elementary School?
The student-teacher ratio at Wills Valley Elementary School is 14.8:1, which is 16% lower than the Alabama average of 17.7:1 and 6% lower 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 Wills Valley Elementary School?
68.9% of students at Wills Valley Elementary School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Alabama average of 58.8%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Wills Valley Elementary School?
The largest demographic group at Wills Valley Elementary School is White at 49.3% of enrollment, in Fort Payne, AL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 57.2/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Wills Valley Elementary School?
Wills Valley Elementary School has a Resource Investment Index of 31/100 (lower 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 Wills Valley Elementary School rank among public schools in Fort Payne?
By Resource Investment Index, Wills Valley Elementary School ranks #4 of 5 public schools in Fort Payne, 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 Fort Payne on the city page.
Is Wills Valley Elementary School a good school?
Wills Valley Elementary School earns 31/100 on the Resource Investment Index, even as it posts class sizes smaller than 85% 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 Fort Payne City?
Besides Wills Valley Elementary School, Fort Payne City also operates Fort Payne High School (1,106 students), Little Ridge Intermediate School (792 students), and Fort Payne Middle School (741 students). See the Fort Payne 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.