Etowah County Schools & Education
Etowah County, Alabama
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
53/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
94.7%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
94.7%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 90.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$6,317
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,270
School Score
53/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#14
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Etowah County
Measured School Summary
Etowah County performs at an average level with a school score of 53/100 and a solid graduation rate of 94.7%.
Funding Context
At $6,317 per pupil, Etowah County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 33% above the Alabama average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 4.0 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Etowah County before comparing districts
County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.
Local context that changes the interpretation
42 public schools and 3 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.
Overall screen
53/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #14 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.
Completion
94.7%
4.0 pts above the state average
Funding context
$6,317
roughly matches the state average
School coverage
42
3 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Etowah County has 42 public schools across 3 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.
Verify local rules
Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.
What Etowah County school data means before you move
County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.
Mixed school landscape
Etowah County has enough school-level records to compare the local mix, but no single county metric should be treated as the answer. Use district shape, grade span, and data coverage together.
State position
#14
of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points above the state average.
Data confidence
Usable
3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.
K-12 continuity check
These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.
Etowah County
Elementary to high school visible
8,702 students
24 listed schools in this county slice.
Gadsden City
Elementary to high school visible
4,939 students
15 listed schools in this county slice.
Attalla City
Elementary to high school visible
1,538 students
3 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Etowah County is the largest listed district slice, with 24 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.
What the data cannot tell you
NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.
Questions to ask before choosing an address
Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Etowah County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Etowah County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Etowah County School Score Exceeds State and National Benchmarks
Education data brief for Etowah County, Alabama.
Etowah County maintains a composite school score of 53.2, placing it above the Alabama state average of 40.0 and the national median of 50.0. This score is accompanied by a graduation rate of 94.7%, which is higher than the state average of 90.7% and the national rate of 87.0%. The county’s educational system is distributed among three districts: Etowah County, Gadsden City, and Attalla City, serving a total of 15,179 students. Gadsden City High School is the largest campus in the county, enrolling 1,318 students. Funding is reported at $6,317 per pupil, roughly consistent with the state average of $6,270 but well below the national average of $13,000. The district mix is diverse, with 16 city schools, 14 suburban schools, and 12 rural schools. Review the NCES directory for detailed school-level financial and demographic data.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
42
in Etowah County
Reported Enrollment
15,179
42 schools reporting
School Districts
3
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
3 School Districts in Etowah County
Etowah County
GuideGadsden City
GuideAttalla City
42 Public Schools in Etowah County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 1 high-enrollment school; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 42 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden City High School | Profile | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35904City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,318 |
| Southside High School | Record | Etowah County | Southside, 35907Suburb: Small | 9–12 | High | 770 |
| John S Jones Elementary School | Record | Etowah County | Rainbow City, 35906Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 739 |
| Attalla Elementary School | Record | Attalla City | Attalla, 35954Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 700 |
| Rainbow Middle School | Record | Etowah County | Rainbow City, 35906Suburb: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 625 |
| Hokes Bluff Elementary School | Record | Etowah County | Hokes Bluff, 35903Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 592 |
| Sardis High School | Record | Etowah County | Sardis City, 35956Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 584 |
| Southside Elementary School | Record | Etowah County | Southside, 35907Suburb: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 570 |
| Etowah High School | Record | Attalla City | Attalla, 35954Suburb: Small | 9–12 | High | 472 |
| Gadsden Middle School | Record | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35901City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 464 |
| W E Striplin Elementary School | Record | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35901City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 464 |
| Adams Elementary School | Record | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35903City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 423 |
| Sardis Middle School | Record | Etowah County | Sardis City, 35956Rural: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 398 |
| Glencoe Elementary School | Record | Etowah County | Glencoe, 35905Suburb: Small | PK–4 | Primary | 390 |
| West End Elementary School | Record | Etowah County | Altoona, 35952Rural: Distant | PK–6 | Primary | 390 |
| Sansom Middle School | Record | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35904City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 376 |
| West End High School | Record | Etowah County | Walnut Grove, 35990Rural: Distant | 7–12 | High | 370 |
| Gaston High School | Record | Etowah County | Gadsden, 35901Rural: Fringe | 7–12 | High | 368 |
| Floyd Elementary School | Record | Gadsden City | Gadsden, 35904City: Small | PK–5 | Primary | 367 |
| Etowah Middle School | Record | Attalla City | Attalla, 35954Suburb: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 366 |
Gadsden City High School
Gadsden City
Gadsden, 35904 / City: Small
John S Jones Elementary School
Etowah County
Rainbow City, 35906 / Suburb: Small
Hokes Bluff Elementary School
Etowah County
Hokes Bluff, 35903 / Suburb: Small
Southside Elementary School
Etowah County
Southside, 35907 / Suburb: Small
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$6,317
State avg $6,270
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Etowah County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?
How should I read the school score in Etowah County?
What is the graduation rate in Etowah County?
How much does Etowah County spend per student?
Counties with Similar School Profile
Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.