Total enrollment
35,120
+410 (+1%) vs SY 2017-18
Shelby County
Alabama · Public K-12
Shelby County's 48 public schools sit inside Alabama and collectively enroll about 35,120 K-12 students across 23 elementary, 11 middle, and 13 high.
7-year change in Shelby County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
43
-1 (-2%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
59%
was 66%
% Hispanic
15%
was 11%
% Black
20%
was 17%
% Asian
3%
was 3%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
48
4 districts
Enrollment
35,120
NCES CCD
Median income
$97,961
Above Alabama avg
Free/reduced lunch
42.3%
Below Alabama avg
Elementary
23
14,620 students
Middle
11
9,026 students
High
13
11,396 students
Combined / other
1
78 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Shelby County Public Schools
20,638 students · 4 districts in Shelby County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Shelby 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+
46.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
5.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
2.9%
civilian labor
Median age
40
22.8% under 18
Test scores in Shelby County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 40 schools ranked. Alabama state average: 53.0%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Montevallo High School· 21.5%
- Calera High· 25.5%
- Shelby County High School· 29.5%
- Thompson High School· 32.4%
- Pelham High School· 38.3%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thompson High School | Alabaster | High | 09-12 | 2,060 | · |
| Oak Mountain High School | Birmingham | High | 09-12 | 1,648 | · |
| Spain Park High School | Hoover | High | 09-12 | 1,472 | · |
| Thompson Middle School | Alabaster | Middle | 06-08 | 1,444 | · |
| Helena High School | Helena | High | 09-12 | 1,383 | · |
| Chelsea High School | Chelsea | High | 09-12 | 1,235 | · |
| Robert F Bumpus Middle School | Hoover | Middle | 06-08 | 1,192 | · |
| Oak Mountain Middle School | Birmingham | Middle | 06-08 | 1,168 | · |
| Pelham High School | Pelham | High | 09-12 | 1,076 | · |
| Berry Middle School | Hoover | Middle | 06-12 | 1,058 | · |
| Calera High | Calera | High | 09-12 | 1,018 | · |
| Creek View Elementary School | Maylene | Elementary | PK-03 | 958 | · |
| Helena Middle | Helena | Middle | 06-08 | 957 | · |
| Helena Intermediate School | Helena | Elementary | 03-05 | 955 | · |
| Meadow View Elementary School | Alabaster | Elementary | PK-03 | 953 | · |
| Thompson Intermediate School | Alabaster | Elementary | 04-05 | 901 | · |
| Chelsea Park Elementary School | Chelsea | Elementary | KG-05 | 891 | · |
| Pelham Park Middle School | Pelham | Middle | 06-08 | 835 | · |
| Chelsea Middle School | Chelsea | Middle | 06-08 | 831 | · |
| Pelham Ridge | Pelham | Elementary | PK-05 | 783 | · |
| Helena Elementary School | Helena | Elementary | KG-02 | 778 | · |
| Calera Middle | Montevallo | Middle | 06-08 | 767 | · |
| Calera Elementary | Calera | Elementary | KG-02 | 766 | · |
| Montevallo Elementary School | Montevallo | Elementary | KG-05 | 758 | · |
| Pelham Oaks | Pelham | Elementary | PK-05 | 750 | · |
| Calera Intermediate School | Calera | Elementary | 03-05 | 747 | · |
| Oak Mountain Elementary School | Birmingham | Elementary | PK-03 | 675 | · |
| Oak Mountain Intermediate School | Birmingham | Elementary | 04-05 | 636 | · |
| Forest Oaks Elementary School | Chelsea | Elementary | KG-05 | 606 | · |
| Shelby County High School | Columbiana | High | 09-12 | 572 | · |
| Inverness Elementary School | Birmingham | Elementary | PK-03 | 563 | · |
| Riverchase Elementary School | Hoover | Elementary | KG-05 | 562 | · |
| Elvin Hill Elementary School | Columbiana | Elementary | KG-05 | 534 | · |
| Mt Laurel Elementary School | Birmingham | Elementary | KG-05 | 498 | · |
| Montevallo High School | Montevallo | High | 09-12 | 485 | · |
| Vincent Middle High School | Vincent | High | 06-12 | 447 | · |
| Greystone Elementary School | Hoover | Elementary | PK-05 | 438 | · |
| Columbiana Middle School | Columbiana | Middle | 06-08 | 428 | · |
| Vincent Elementary School | Vincent | Elementary | PK-05 | 397 | · |
| Montevallo Middle School | Montevallo | Middle | 06-08 | 346 | · |
| Shelby Elementary School | Shelby | Elementary | PK-05 | 242 | · |
| Wilsonville Elementary School | Wilsonville | Elementary | PK-05 | 229 | · |
| Linda Nolen Learning Center | Pelham | Combined | PK-12 | 78 | · |
| Career Technical Education Center | Columbiana | High | 09-12 | · | · |
| New Direction | Columbiana | High | 06-12 | · | · |
| Riverchase Career Connection Center | Hoover | High | 10-12 | · | · |
| STAR Program Elementary | Pelham | Elementary | PK-05 | · | · |
| STAR Program Middle | Pelham | Middle | 06-08 | · | · |
Cities in Shelby County
About Shelby County
Across the medium-population Alabama county of Shelby County of about 230,211 residents, the public-school footprint covers 48 schools and about 35,120 students.
Zooming out, census numbers show the median household earns about $97,961 a year, about 47% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 76% noticeably above the Alabama median.
On the school-mix side, Shelby County spans 23 elementary schools (14,620 students), 11 middle schools (9,026), 13 high schools (11,396), and 1 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Shelby County is Shelby County Public Schools, which alone enrolls about 20,638 students.
Trend over the past 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 35,120 students, stayed largely flat from the 34,710 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Shelby County lost 1 school, going from 44 to 43. The White share of public-school enrollment contracted from 66% to 59%.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Shelby County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.
Frequently asked questions
Shelby County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data