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Charles F Hard Elementary School

Summary:

Charles F Hard Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bessemer, Alabama, serving 342 students in grades PK-5. The school has a predominantly African American student body, with over 90% of students identifying as such, and a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with over 85% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Despite serving a high-need population, Charles F Hard Elementary School has consistently underperformed academically, with proficiency rates well below the Bessemer City and Alabama state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school had proficiency rates of only 4.17% in 3rd grade math, 0% in 4th grade math, and 12.5% in 5th grade math, compared to Bessemer City averages of 12.35%, 7.72%, and 8.68%, respectively. The school also lags behind in English language arts, with proficiency rates ranging from 18.87% to 27.5% across the grades, compared to Bessemer City's 25.4% to 34.27%.

Compared to nearby schools like Westhills Elementary, Jonesboro Elementary, and Abrams Elementary, which also serve predominantly African American and low-income student populations, Charles F Hard Elementary School consistently ranks among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Bessemer City and the state of Alabama, with a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger for the past several years.


Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

 2801 Arlington Ave
       Bessemer, AL  35020

(205) 432-3300

District: Bessemer City

SchoolDigger Rank:
674th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,340 Help


Students who attend Charles F Hard Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Bessemer City Middle School
High:    Bessemer City High School

Student/teacher ratio:  21.8 Help
Number of students:  350

Racial breakdown:

African American:
88.6%
Hispanic:
6.6%
Two or more races:
4.3%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  84.9% Help


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 Compare Charles F Hard Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Charles F Hard Elementary School ranks worse than 98.5% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks last among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 5.75. (See more...)
Help
Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (88.6%), Hispanic (6.6%), two or more races (4.3%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 84.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Bessemer City School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Charles F Hard Elementary School is 21.8, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District! (See more...)
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Compare Charles F Hard Elementary School employs 16 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Charles F Hard Elementary School is $11,340. 2 elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Charles F Hard Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Charles F Hard Elementary School 674th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Charles F Hard Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Bessemer City:

SchoolDigger ranks Bessemer City 129th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Charles F Hard Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Charles F Hard Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 12.45 593rd 623 4.8%
2005 21.32 611th 688 11.2%
2006 11.51 669th 689 2.9%
2007 22.29 609th 698 12.8%
2008 22.98 620th 698 11.2%
2009 18.85 638th 696 8.3%
2010 7.35 684th 704 2.8%
2011 15.17 667th 709 5.9%
2012 24.19 609th 696 12.5%
2013 14.00 667th 696 4.2%
2014 10.26 665th 695 4.3%
2015 7.44 675th 691 2.3%
2016 8.92 656th 691 5.1%
2017 8.43 658th 688 4.4%
2018 24.99 513th 680 24.6%
2019 11.40 629th 681 7.6%
2021 8.54 678th 692 2.0%
2022 7.67 677th 687 1.5%
2023 10.01 631st 680 7.2%
2024 5.75 674th 684 1.5%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Charles F Hard Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 9.70 542nd 567 4.4%
2018 36.02 444th 651 31.8%
2019 17.16 584th 649 10.0%
2021 10.93 633rd 653 3.1%
2022 10.47 635th 651 2.5%
2023 15.28 561st 623 10.0%
2024 6.41 663rd 670 1.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Charles F Hard Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 11.19 597th 639 6.6%
2018 33.78 448th 640 30.0%
2019 17.86 551st 646 14.7%
2021 8.46 651st 656 0.8%
2022 6.66 653rd 656 0.5%
2023 11.66 593rd 645 8.1%
2024 8.55 630th 650 3.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Charles F Hard Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 8.56 613th 639 4.1%
2018 21.35 523rd 650 19.5%
2019 9.37 620th 650 4.6%
2021 10.11 643rd 669 3.9%
2022 9.66 644th 669 3.7%
2023 9.56 610th 649 6.0%
2024 5.87 648th 655 1.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Charles F Hard Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 47.06 219th 423 48.2%
2019 29.29 335th 426 21.4%
2021 16.93 412th 426 3.3%
2022 18.15 402nd 426 5.6%
2023 24.89 348th 427 18.5%
2024 14.10 410th 420 2.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Charles F Hard Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Charles F Hard Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 543 543
1989 1 780 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 781
1990 0 816 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 816
1991 0 804 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 807
1992 0 769 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 769
1993 0 741 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 741
1994 0 718 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 718
1995 0 631 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 631
1996 0 631 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 631
1997 0 621 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 621
1998 2 639 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 641
1999 0 599 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 599
2000 0 598 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 598
2001 0 565 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 565
2002 0 467 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 467
2003 0 467 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 467
2004 0 397 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 398
2005 0 394 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 396
2006 1 412 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 413
2007 0 397 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 397
2008 0 355 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 356
2009 0 365 1 0 0 n/a n/a 0 366
2010 3 395 1 3 0 n/a n/a 0 402
2011 2 380 1 9 0 0 0 0 392
2012 0 343 0 8 0 0 2 0 353
2013 0 310 1 6 0 0 2 0 319
2014 0 270 0 4 0 0 1 0 275
2015 0 302 0 0 0 0 1 0 303
2016 0 299 0 4 0 0 0 0 303
2017 0 307 0 8 0 0 0 0 315
2018 2 342 0 13 0 0 0 0 357
2019 1 374 0 10 0 0 3 0 388
2020 2 364 0 19 0 0 7 0 392
2021 3 342 0 15 0 0 9 0 369
2022 1 336 0 22 0 0 12 0 371
2023 2 310 0 15 0 0 15 0 342
2024 2 310 0 23 0 0 15 0 350

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Charles F Hard Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 543 27.0 20.1 0
1989 781 41.0 19.0 n/a
1990 816 40.0 20.4 0
1991 807 42.0 19.2 n/a
1992 769 41.0 18.7 n/a
1993 741 41.0 18.1 n/a
1994 718 44.0 16.3 n/a
1995 631 38.3 16.5 n/a
1996 631 38.3 16.5 n/a
1997 621 38.1 16.3 89
1998 641 39.0 16.4 88
1999 599 39.0 15.4 93.5
2000 598 39.0 15.3 55.4
2001 565 40.0 14.1 80.5
2002 467 36.0 13.0 86.3
2003 467 36.0 13.0 86.3
2004 398 31.3 12.7 88.4
2005 396 27.0 14.7 88.4
2006 413 25.0 16.5 87.7
2007 397 26.0 15.3 90.4
2008 356 24.5 14.5 92.1
2009 366 24.2 14.9 94.3
2010 402 27.0 14.8 95.8
2011 392 29.4 13.3 94.9
2012 353 28.6 12.3 96.9
2013 319 28.0 11.3 99.1
2014 275 19.0 14.4 94.9
2015 303 14.0 21.6 84.5
2016 303 17.0 17.8 89.1
2017 315 16.2 19.3 85.7
2018 357 18.0 19.8 88.2
2019 388 19.2 20.1 87.1
2020 392 22.2 17.6 84.7
2021 369 24.7 14.9 83.5
2022 371 18.0 20.6 86.5
2023 342 20.0 17.1 85.7
2024 350 16.0 21.8 84.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Charles F Hard Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 543 27.0 20.1 0
1989 781 41.0 19.0 n/a
1990 816 40.0 20.4 0
1991 807 42.0 19.2 n/a
1992 769 41.0 18.7 n/a
1993 741 41.0 18.1 n/a
1994 718 44.0 16.3 n/a
1995 631 38.3 16.5 n/a
1996 631 38.3 16.5 n/a
1997 621 38.1 16.3 89
1998 641 39.0 16.4 88
1999 599 39.0 15.4 93.5
2000 598 39.0 15.3 55.4
2001 565 40.0 14.1 80.5
2002 467 36.0 13.0 86.3
2003 467 36.0 13.0 86.3
2004 398 31.3 12.7 88.4
2005 396 27.0 14.7 88.4
2006 413 25.0 16.5 87.7
2007 397 26.0 15.3 90.4
2008 356 24.5 14.5 92.1
2009 366 24.2 14.9 94.3
2010 402 27.0 14.8 95.8
2011 392 29.4 13.3 94.9
2012 353 28.6 12.3 96.9
2013 319 28.0 11.3 99.1
2014 275 19.0 14.4 94.9
2015 303 14.0 21.6 84.5
2016 303 17.0 17.8 89.1
2017 315 16.2 19.3 85.7
2018 357 18.0 19.8 88.2
2019 388 19.2 20.1 87.1
2020 392 22.2 17.6 84.7
2021 369 24.7 14.9 83.5
2022 371 18.0 20.6 86.5
2023 342 20.0 17.1 85.7
2024 350 16.0 21.8 84.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Charles F Hard Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,980 (17.5%) $9,345 (82.4%) $11,340

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Charles F Hard Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 629th of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 631st of 680 Elementary schools
 0.4%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Charles F Hard Elementary School)205.3
 14.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)25.616.3
 9.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Charles F Hard Elementary School)33.312.8
 20.5%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)27.18.9
 18.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Charles F Hard Elementary School)25.512.3
 13.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)23.56.4
 17.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students388342
 11.9%
African American374310
 17.1%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic1015
 50%
Pacific Islander00
White12
 100%
Two or More Races315
 400%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients87.1%85.7%
 1.4%

Schools Near Charles F Hard Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Charles F Hard Elementary School

Students at Charles F Hard Elementary School are 89% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races.

Students who attend Charles F Hard Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bessemer City Middle School
High : Bessemer City High School

In the 2023-24 school year, 350 students attended Charles F Hard Elementary School.

Charles F Hard Elementary School ranks in the bottom 1.5% of Alabama elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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