Total enrollment
15,139
-121 (-1%) vs SY 2017-18
Etowah County
Alabama · Public K-12
Etowah County in Alabama is home to 42 public K-12 schools, serving roughly 15,139 students between them, broken out as 22 elementary, 8 middle, and 11 high. Etowah County Public Schools is the largest district by enrollment.
7-year change in Etowah County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
37
+2 (+6%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
64%
was 70%
% Hispanic
12%
was 8%
% Black
18%
was 19%
% Asian
1%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
42
3 districts
Enrollment
15,139
NCES CCD
Median income
$54,563
Below Alabama avg
Free/reduced lunch
58.1%
Below Alabama avg
Elementary
22
7,622 students
Middle
8
2,911 students
High
11
4,606 students
Combined / other
1
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Etowah County Public Schools
8,739 students · 3 districts in Etowah County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Etowah County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".
County residents
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
18.1%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
11.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.9%
civilian labor
Median age
42
21.9% under 18
Test scores in Etowah County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 36 schools ranked. Alabama state average: 53.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Eura Brown Elementary School· 87.2%
- Southside Elementary School· 84.0%
- Ivalee Elementary School· 80.4%
- John S Jones Elementary School· 80.0%
- Whitesboro Elementary School· 77.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Gadsden City High School· 18.0%
- Etowah High School· 22.5%
- Hokes Bluff High School· 23.2%
- Sardis High School· 25.0%
- Glencoe High School· 27.3%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden City High School | Gadsden | High | 09-12 | 1,361 | · |
| Southside High School | Southside | High | 09-12 | 825 | · |
| John S Jones Elementary School | Rainbow City | Elementary | PK-05 | 745 | · |
| Attalla Elementary School | Attalla | Elementary | PK-05 | 665 | · |
| Rainbow Middle School | Rainbow City | Middle | 06-08 | 634 | · |
| Hokes Bluff Elementary School | Hokes Bluff | Elementary | PK-05 | 610 | · |
| Southside Elementary School | Southside | Elementary | PK-05 | 585 | · |
| Sardis High School | Sardis City | High | 09-12 | 546 | · |
| Etowah High School | Attalla | High | 09-12 | 453 | · |
| Gadsden Middle School | Gadsden | Middle | 06-08 | 438 | · |
| Adams Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | KG-05 | 433 | · |
| Whitesboro Elementary School | Boaz | Elementary | PK-05 | 423 | · |
| W E Striplin Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | KG-05 | 400 | · |
| Glencoe Elementary School | Glencoe | Elementary | PK-04 | 397 | · |
| West End Elementary School | Altoona | Elementary | PK-06 | 390 | · |
| Floyd Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 384 | · |
| Sardis Middle School | Sardis City | Middle | 06-08 | 381 | · |
| Gaston High School | Gadsden | High | 07-12 | 380 | · |
| Hokes Bluff High School | Hokes Bluff | High | 09-12 | 371 | · |
| West End High School | Walnut Grove | High | 07-12 | 370 | · |
| Carlisle Elementary School | Boaz | Elementary | PK-05 | 343 | · |
| Etowah Middle School | Attalla | Middle | 06-08 | 342 | · |
| Eura Brown Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 340 | · |
| Sansom Middle School | Gadsden | Middle | 06-08 | 339 | · |
| Glencoe High School | Glencoe | High | 09-12 | 300 | · |
| Gaston Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-06 | 290 | · |
| Thompson Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 288 | · |
| Glencoe Middle School | Glencoe | Middle | 05-08 | 272 | · |
| Mitchell Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 262 | · |
| Hokes Bluff Middle School | Hokes Bluff | Middle | 06-08 | 253 | · |
| Litchfield Middle School | Gadsden | Middle | 06-08 | 252 | · |
| Donehoo Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 225 | · |
| Walnut Park Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-05 | 218 | · |
| Highland Elementary School | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-06 | 216 | · |
| Duck Springs Elementary School | Attalla | Elementary | PK-06 | 207 | · |
| Ivalee Elementary School | Attalla | Elementary | PK-06 | 200 | · |
| Etowah County Special Education Learning Center | Gadsden | Elementary | PK-PK | 1 | · |
| C I T Y Program | Gadsden | High | 06-12 | · | · |
| Career Technical Center | Attalla | High | 09-12 | · | · |
| Downtown Educational Center | Gadsden | High | 06-12 | · | · |
| The Etowah County Refocus Center | Attalla | Combined | 04-12 | · | · |
| Therapeutic Academic Program | Gadsden | Elementary | 01-05 | · | · |
Cities in Etowah County
About Etowah County
Etowah County is a mid-sized county of about 103,105 residents in Alabama. Its public-school system hosts approximately 15,139 students across 42 schools.
In context, census numbers show median household income runs near $54,563, 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the federal-poverty share is near 12%.
In terms of grade levels, Etowah County consists of 22 elementary schools (7,622 students), 8 middle schools (2,911), 11 high schools (4,606), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Etowah County is Etowah County Public Schools, which alone enrolls about 8,739 students.
Over the past 7-year window. Across the same 7-year window, public-school enrollment remained close to its prior level: 15,260 students in SY 2017-18 versus 15,139 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 35 to 37 across the same 7-year window. The White share of public-school enrollment shrank from 70% to 64%.
On allk12, the community for Etowah County discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.
Frequently asked questions
Etowah County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data