Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 31 schools in district

Shelby County High School

101 Washington St, Columbiana, AL 35051Shelby County →
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 09–12Non-Charter
584
Students
Total enrolled
87%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
~avg
$12,606
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
↓ 12% vs nat'l
14.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
↓ 6% vs nat'l
39/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
↓ 23% vs nat'l
⇄ Compare with another school
Mid-sized public school
Serves 584 students in grades 09–12 in Columbiana, Alabama.
12% below average funding
District spends $12,606 per pupil, 12% less than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 39th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Shelby County High School is a large high in Columbiana, Alabama, serving grades 09–12 with 584 students. The district invests $12,606 per student — 12% below the national average of $14,347, with a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 60% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed-income student body. A neighborhood opportunity score of 39/100 — below the national median of 50 — is worth factoring into a fuller picture of long-term student outcomes.

Student Body & Demographics at Shelby County High School

584
Total Students
14.4 : 1
Student:Teacher
60%
Free Lunch
41
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 Distribution321 male · 263 female
55%
45%
Male 55%Female 45%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility60%
National avg 52% · 352 students
Student Composition
76%
11%
12%
White76%
Hispanic / Latino11%
Black12%
Multiracial2%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 010303001174

Academic Outcomes at Shelby County High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
85-89
Near avg
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
87%
State avg
91%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
39
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 39th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 22th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 35051

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$12,606Below avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$12,606
State avg
$14,511
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$5,547
Student Support$2,395
Administration$1,513
Operations$1,891
Other$1,261
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $12,606 spent per student, an estimated $5,585 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
52%
39%
State government
51.9%
Local (property tax)
38.9%
Federal programs
9.2%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 87% graduation rate — near the national average of 87%
  • Traditional public school — open enrollment, no application process required
Strengths and considerations are derived from federal data thresholds — not editorial judgements. See data sources below.
K–12 Pathway in District
Elementary
Helena Intermediate SchoolHelena Elementary SchoolChelsea Park Elementary SchoolCalera Intermediate School
+11 more
↓
Middle
Oak Mountain Middle SchoolHelena MiddleChelsea Middle SchoolCalera Middle
+2 more
↓
High School
Oak Mountain High SchoolHelena High SchoolChelsea High SchoolCalera High
+4 more
School Profile
TypeRegular School
LevelHigh
Grades09 – 12
Location—
CountyShelby County
CharterNo
VirtualNo
DistrictShelby County →
Phone: (205)682-6600
NCES ID: 010303001174
Who Is This School For?

Best suited for families in Columbiana seeking a public high school, especially those prioritizing a solid, no-frills public education. We always recommend an in-person visit and a conversation with current families before making any enrollment decision.

More in Shelby County
High
Oak Mountain High School
1,561 students · 09–12
● 41 opp22% FRL
High
Helena High School
1,418 students · 09–12
28% FRL
High
Chelsea High School
1,400 students · 09–12
23% FRL
Mid
Oak Mountain Middle School
1,175 students · 06–08
● 41 opp25% FRL
High
Calera High
1,066 students · 09–12
● 37 opp59% FRL
Mid
Helena Middle
1,035 students · 06–08
30% FRL
Mid
Chelsea Middle School
951 students · 06–08
28% FRL
Elem
Helena Intermediate School
945 students · 03–05
29% FRL
District School Rankings
Location
101 Washington St, Columbiana, AL 35051
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.