Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High· 20 schools in district

Austin High School

3004 Modaus Road, Decatur, AL 35601Decatur City
Federal DataRegular SchoolGrades 1012Non-Charter
1,025
Students
Total enrolled
91%
Grad Rate
Nat'l avg 87%
5% vs nat'l
$15,570
Per-Pupil Spend
Nat'l avg $14,347
9% vs nat'l
15.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
Nat'l avg 15.4:1
~avg
41/100
Opportunity Score
Neighborhood outcomes
19% vs nat'l
Large public school
Serves 1,025 students in grades 10–12 in Decatur, Alabama.
9% above average funding
District spends $15,570 per pupil, 9% more than the national average of $14,347.
Below-median opportunity
Children from this neighborhood historically reach the 41th income percentile as adults, per Harvard/Census Opportunity Atlas data.
About This School

Austin High School is a very large high in Decatur, Alabama, serving grades 10–12 with 1,025 students. The district invests $15,570 per student — 9% above the national average of $14,347, with a 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio near the national norm. About 67% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting significant economic challenges in the surrounding community. The school's 91% graduation rate — above the national average of 87% — reflects strong completion outcomes for its students.

Student Body & Demographics at Austin High School

1,025
Total Students
15.3 : 1
Student:Teacher
67%
Free Lunch
67
Teacher FTE
Grade Range
PK
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Highlighted grades (1012) are served by this school
Gender Distribution502 male · 523 female
49%
51%
Male 49%Female 51%
Free / Reduced Lunch Eligibility67%
National avg 52% · 682 students
Student Composition
31%
30%
34%
Asian1%
White31%
Hispanic / Latino30%
Black34%
Multiracial3%
NCES Common Core of Data · Race/ethnicity self-reported · NCES ID: 010117000426

Academic Outcomes at Austin High School

Graduation Rate (Adjusted Cohort)
91
High
National avg 87%
Graduation Rate Comparison
This school
91%
State avg
91%
National avg
87%
Neighborhood Opportunity Score
41
/ 100
Below-median opportunity

Children from modest-income families in this neighborhood reach the 41th income percentile as adults. This school is in the 32th percentile nationally.

0 — Low50 — MedianHigh — 100
Opportunity Atlas (Chetty, Friedman et al., Harvard/Census) · Census tract · ZIP 35601

School Resources & Funding

Per-Pupil Expenditure$15,570Near avg
National avg $14,347
Per-Pupil Spending Comparison
This school
$15,570
State avg
$14,511
National avg
$14,347
How School Funding Is Typically Spent
44%
19%
12%
15%
Instruction$6,851
Student Support$2,958
Administration$1,868
Operations$2,336
Other$1,557
Estimated using national average spending distribution (NCES) · School-level breakdowns not publicly reported
Of the $15,570 spent per student, an estimated $6,898 (~44%) goes directly to classroom instruction.
Where Funding Comes From
47%
39%
State government
47.0%
Local (property tax)
39.5%
Federal programs
13.5%
NCES F-33 Finance Survey · District-level data applied to this school
Strengths & Considerations
Strengths
  • 91% graduation rate — well above the 87% national average
  • 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.
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.