Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 15 schools in district

Gadsden City High School

1917 Black Creek Parkway, Gadsden, AL 35904Gadsden City →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
1,318
Students
Total enrolled
90%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$14,820
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
~avg
15.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
36/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 28% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Large public school
Serves 1,318 students in grades 09–12 in Gadsden, Alabama.
Near-average funding
District spends $14,820 per pupil — close to the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 36th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Gadsden City High School is a very large high in Gadsden, Alabama, serving grades 09–12 with 1,318 students. The district invests $14,820 per student — close to the national average of $14,347, with a 15.5:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 76% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. A neighborhood opportunity score of 36/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Gadsden City High School

1,318
Total Students
15.5 : 1
Student:Teacher
76%
Free Lunch
85
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (09–12) are served by this school
Gender Distribution627 male · 691 female
48%
52%
Male 48%Female 52%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility76%
National avg 52% · 1,003 students
Student Composition
31%
22%
45%
Asian1%
White31%
Hispanic / Latino22%
Black45%
Multiracial1%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 010162001824

Academic Outcomes at Gadsden City High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
90
High
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
90%
State avg
91%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
36
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 36th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 12th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 35904

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$14,820Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$14,820
State avg
$14,511
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$6,521
Student Support$2,816
Administration$1,778
Operations$2,223
Other$1,482
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $14,820 spent per student, an estimated $6,565 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
57%
19%
State government
57.1%
Local (property tax)
18.6%
Federal programs
24.3%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 90% graduation rate — well above the 87% national average
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Worth Considering
  • Below-median neighborhood opportunity score (36/100) — national median is 50
  • 76% of students on free or reduced lunch — a high share that can indicate resource pressure
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
W E Striplin Elementary SchoolAdams Elementary SchoolFloyd Elementary SchoolEura Brown Elementary School
+5 more
↓
Middle
Gadsden Middle SchoolSansom Middle SchoolLitchfield Middle School
↓
High School
Gadsden City Alternative SchoolC I T Y Program
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyEtowah County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictGadsden City →
Phone: (256)543-3614
NCES ID: 010162001824
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Gadsden seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing strong graduation outcomes and academic completion. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Gadsden City
Elem
W E Striplin Elementary School
464 students · PK–05
● 40 opp86% FRL
Mid
Gadsden Middle School
464 students · 06–08
● 40 opp75% FRL
Elem
Adams Elementary School
423 students · PK–05
● 36 opp91% FRL
Mid
Sansom Middle School
376 students · 06–08
● 36 opp84% FRL
Elem
Floyd Elementary School
367 students · PK–05
● 36 opp85% FRL
Elem
Eura Brown Elementary School
335 students · PK–05
● 40 opp37% FRL
Elem
Donehoo Elementary School
260 students · PK–05
● 36 opp80% FRL
Mid
Litchfield Middle School
255 students · 06–08
● 36 opp91% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
1917 Black Creek Parkway, Gadsden, AL 35904
Data Sources & Transparency
Enrollment & Profile
NCES Common Core of Data. Grades, enrollment, demographics, school characteristics. Updated annually.
Funding & Spending
NCES F-33 Finance Survey. District-level spending data. School-level breakdowns are not publicly reported.
Graduation Rate
EDFacts Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR). High schools only. Small cohorts may be range-coded for privacy.
Opportunity Score
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census Bureau). Census tract outcomes for children born in the 1980s.
Fact-Based Rankings
Best-school rankings are computed from federal metrics only — enrollment, per-pupil spending, student-teacher ratio, opportunity score, and graduation rate. No editorial opinion or paid placements.
Equity Data (Coming Soon)
AP access, counselor ratios, and chronic absenteeism from the CRDC will be added in a future update.

Questions to Ask on Your School Visit

Research shows the most important factors are invisible in the data. Here is what to ask when you visit.

High
1
What percentage of students take AP or dual enrollment courses?
Indicates academic rigor and college prep
2
What college counseling and application support is provided?
Ratio of students per counselor matters
3
What career and vocational pathways are offered?
CTE programs, internships, industry partnerships
4
How does the school support students at risk of not graduating?
Credit recovery, attendance intervention
5
What's the school's culture around attendance and behavior?
Discipline approach, restorative practices
6
What happens after graduation — where do students go?
Ask about college, career, military outcomes
7
What does the school do with student performance data?
How data is used to personalize instruction
8
How would you describe teacher retention here?
High turnover can disrupt continuity of learning
9
What's the culture around student diversity and inclusion?
How differences are celebrated and managed

Frequently Asked Questions

About this school and the data on this page

About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets — NCES Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Opportunity Atlas — and we work hard to keep them accurate and up to date. That said, federal data is published on an annual cycle, so some figures may not yet reflect the very latest school-year changes or local updates. We recommend using this page as a helpful starting point and cross-checking with the school or district directly, or visiting the NCES Common Core of Data and ed.gov for the most authoritative figures before making any important decisions.