McBride Elementary School

As a middle-of-the-pack elementary-level community in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, McBride Elementary School works with 647 students from grades 3 through 5, operated by Muscle Shoals City. Enrollment runs roughly 35% bigger than the state mean of about 480.

Within Muscle Shoals City, which oversees 6 schools and 2,979 students, McBride Elementary School is one campus in the system.

Demographically, McBride Elementary School reports that White students make up the majority at 69%. The remainder consists of 13% Black, 9% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 3% Asian. By comparison, Colbert County as a whole is about 77% White, so the school skews visibly less White than its surroundings.

In terms of school funding signals, The school currently runs with 37 full-time-equivalent teachers, for a student-teacher ratio near 17.4:1. The state averages about 17.0:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. An estimated 34% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Colbert County (around 50%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

After controlling for student poverty, McBride Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 59.1%; this one delivers 74.1%.

In the broader community, census data for Colbert County shows median household income runs about $60,628, 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate sits near 14%. McBride Elementary School is one of 25 public schools in Colbert County (combined enrollment of about 8,178 students).

Nearest neighbor: Muscle Shoals Middle School, around 0.1 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McBride Elementary School at 1st of 6; the average score across the group is 34.3%.

The school occupies an urban site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at McBride Elementary School has stayed largely flat, going from 650 students in 2018 to 647 in 2025.

On this page, recent activity here tends to focus on enrollment questions, classroom assignments, and PTA news. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.