Total enrollment
20,638
+200 (+1%) vs SY 2020-21
33 schools in Shelby County
Alabama · 20,638 students · 10 cities
Shelby County runs 33 public K-12 schools per the latest NCES data, with combined enrollment near 20,638 and an average school size of 625.
4-year change in Shelby County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
29
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Shelby County ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In Alabama | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 52.3% | #30 of 127 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 20,638 | #8 of 143 | #387 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 29 | #8 of 143 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 16.4:1 | #47 of 143 | #6,744 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 41.7% | #128 of 143 | #5,332 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 53.4% | #56 of 127 | #2,560 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.
Inside Shelby County
State test results across the district's 26 scored schools run from Mt Laurel Elementary School at 86.6% proficient to Montevallo High School at 20.2%, a gap of 66.4 points. That is the 7th widest gap among 92 Alabama districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 29 district schools that reported both years went from 20,539 to 20,638 students (unchanged) and from 1,166 to 1,261 full-time teachers (up 8%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
About Shelby County
Shelby County administers 33 public schools across Alabama, collectively serveing roughly 20,638 students.
On the school-mix side, Shelby County spans 16 elementary, 7 middle, 9 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
Average enrollment per school in Shelby County is about 625, higher than the Alabama average of roughly 544.
Looking at the last 4 years. Total public-school enrollment in Shelby County has remained close to its prior level since SY 2020-21, moving from about 20,438 students to 20,638.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Shelby County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Members of the local community share what they see day-to-day.