McCalla Elementary School

Set in Bessemer, Alabama, McCalla Elementary School is a well-populated elementary-level community, operated by Jefferson County. It hosts 752 students across grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Alabama's public schools average about 480 students each, so McCalla Elementary School sits 57% bigger than that benchmark.

McCalla Elementary School is one of 55 schools operated by Jefferson County, a district that instructs 35,444 students overall.

On demographics, McCalla Elementary School lists that the largest single group is Black, at 56% of enrollment; the rest breaks down as 23% White, 17% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That is considerably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 42%.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 41 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 18.5:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.0:1, putting McCalla Elementary School higher than the state norm the norm. Roughly 54% of students at McCalla Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment.

With demographic context factored in, McCalla Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 46.7%.

In the area at large, the surrounding county (Jefferson County) reports that the typical household earns roughly $66,388 per year, about 36% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Jefferson County runs 181 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,401 students), of which McCalla Elementary School is one.

Nearest neighbor: McAdory Middle School, around 2.0 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 7 other public schools cluster around McCalla Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts McCalla Elementary School at 2nd of 8; the average score across the group is 41.5%.

Geographically, the school is in a low-density area.

Over the past 7-year window. Over the past 7-year window, the student count rose 202%: 249 students in 2018 compared to 752 in 2025. White enrollment moved from 34% to 23% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 17.3:1 in 2018 to 18.5:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, members of the McCalla Elementary School community share and discuss science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.