Limestone County Schools & Education
Limestone County, Alabama
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
23/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Lower Signal
Graduation Rate
88.3%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
88.3%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 90.7%
Per-Pupil Spending
$5,406
National avg $13,239
State avg $6,270
School Score
23/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 40/100
State Score Position
#59
of 67 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Limestone County
Measured School Summary
Limestone County faces educational challenges with a school score of 23/100 and a graduation rate of 88.3%, falling below typical benchmarks.
Funding Context
At $5,406 per pupil, Limestone County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.
Neighbor Context
Its school score is 43% below the Alabama average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 2.4 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 14% lower than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Limestone 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
26 public schools and 2 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
23/100
Lower measured signal. Ranks #59 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.
Completion
88.3%
2.4 pts below the state average
Funding context
$5,406
$864 below the state average
School coverage
26
2 districts represented in the county school list.
Start with measured county context
The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.
Check the local school mix
Limestone County has 26 public schools across 2 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 Limestone 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.
Dominant-district county
Limestone County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 17 of 26 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.
State position
#59
of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 17 points below 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.
Limestone County
Elementary and high visible
15,887 students
17 listed schools in this county slice.
Athens City
Elementary to high school visible
4,840 students
8 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
Limestone County is the largest listed district slice, with 17 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 Limestone County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Limestone County district systems?
What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?
Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?
Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?
Data Story
Virtual academy enrollment shapes Limestone County public school structure
Education data brief for Limestone County, Alabama.
The public education landscape in Limestone County is defined by the presence of Alabama Connections Academy, a virtual school that enrolls 7,063 students, making it the largest institution in the county by a wide margin. This enrollment contributes to a county-wide average school size of 915 students, which is notably high for the region. Overall, the county serves 22,876 students across two districts: Limestone County and Athens City. Despite the high enrollment figures, the county-wide school score is 22.6, falling below the state average of 40.0 and the national median of 50.0. Per-pupil spending is recorded at $5,406, which is lower than the Alabama average of $6,270 and less than half of the national average of $13,000. Graduation rates stand at 88.3%, slightly above the national average of 87.0% but below the state average of 90.7%. Compare district boundaries before drawing conclusions.
Sources
- NCES Common Core of Data
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS
School Overview
Total Schools
26
in Limestone County
Reported Enrollment
22,876
26 schools reporting
School Districts
2
districts
Charter Schools
0
0% of total
School Level Breakdown
2 School Districts in Limestone County
26 Public Schools in Limestone County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 6 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 26 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Connections Academy | Profile | Limestone County | Athens, 35614Town: Fringe | KG–12 | Virtual | 7,063 |
| James Clemens High School | Profile | Madison City | Madison, 35756Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,149 |
| East Limestone High School | Profile | Limestone County | Athens, 35613Suburb: Large | 6–12 | High | 1,282 |
| Athens High School | Profile | Athens City | Athens, 35612Town: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,173 |
| Ardmore High School | Profile | Limestone County | Ardmore, 35739Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 993 |
| Athens Middle School | Profile | Athens City | Athens, 35611Town: Fringe | 6–8 | Middle | 958 |
| West Limestone High School | Record | Limestone County | Lester, 35647Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 733 |
| Athens Renaissance School | Record | Athens City | Athens, 35611Town: Fringe | KG–12 | Virtual | 646 |
| Sugar Creek Elementary School | Record | Limestone County | Lester, 35647Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 646 |
| Elkmont High School | Record | Limestone County | Elkmont, 35620Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 643 |
| Creekside Primary School | Record | Limestone County | Harvest, 35749Suburb: Large | PK–2 | Primary | 634 |
| Athens Intermediate School | Record | Athens City | Athens, 35611Town: Fringe | 4–5 | Primary | 586 |
| Cedar Hill Elementary School | Record | Limestone County | Ardmore, 35739Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 578 |
| Creekside Elementary School | Record | Limestone County | Harvest, 35749Suburb: Large | 1–5 | Primary | 560 |
| Clements High School | Record | Limestone County | Athens, 35611Rural: Distant | 6–12 | High | 554 |
| Blue Springs Elementary School | Record | Limestone County | Athens, 35611Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 515 |
| Tanner High School | Record | Limestone County | Tanner, 35671Rural: Fringe | 6–12 | High | 411 |
| Athens Elementary School | Record | Athens City | Athens, 35611Town: Fringe | PK–3 | Primary | 408 |
| Elkmont Elementary School | Record | Limestone County | Elkmont, 35620Rural: Distant | PK–5 | Primary | 376 |
| Julian Newman Elementary School | Record | Athens City | Athens, 35611Town: Fringe | PK–3 | Primary | 371 |
Alabama Connections Academy
Limestone County
Athens, 35614 / Town: Fringe
James Clemens High School
Madison City
Madison, 35756 / Suburb: Large
East Limestone High School
Limestone County
Athens, 35613 / Suburb: Large
Athens High School
Athens City
Athens, 35612 / Town: Fringe
Ardmore High School
Limestone County
Ardmore, 35739 / Rural: Distant
Athens Middle School
Athens City
Athens, 35611 / Town: Fringe
Sugar Creek Elementary School
Limestone County
Lester, 35647 / Rural: Distant
Cedar Hill Elementary School
Limestone County
Ardmore, 35739 / Rural: Distant
Creekside Elementary School
Limestone County
Harvest, 35749 / Suburb: Large
Blue Springs Elementary School
Limestone County
Athens, 35611 / Rural: Distant
Elkmont Elementary School
Limestone County
Elkmont, 35620 / Rural: Distant
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$5,406
State avg $6,270
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Limestone 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
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What is the graduation rate in Limestone County?
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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.