Charles F Hard Elementary School

364 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 5th

School Overview

Charles F. Hard Elementary School, located in Bessemer, Alabama, serves as a foundational educational institution within the Bessemer City School District. The school is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment that caters to the academic, social, and emotional development of its diverse student body. By emphasizing core curriculum standards and utilizing local resources, the school aims to prepare its young learners for success in their future academic endeavors while nurturing a sense of community responsibility.

The school places a significant focus on student engagement and teacher-led instruction, striving to close achievement gaps through structured classroom activities and extracurricular support. As part of the Bessemer City system, Charles F. Hard Elementary works closely with families and the surrounding community to ensure that students have access to the necessary tools and technology for 21st-century learning. Through its mission, the school seeks to instill a love of lifelong learning and build the character necessary for students to become productive members of their community.

364

Total Students

19.0

Full-Time Teachers

19.2

Student/Teacher Ratio

80.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Charles F Hard Elementary School
Demographic	Student Count
White	3
Hispanic	27
Black	316
Two or More	16
American Indian	1
Pacific Islander	1

Black
316 (86.8%)
Hispanic
27 (7.4%)
Two or More
16 (4.4%)
White
3 (0.8%)
American Indian
1 (0.3%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.3%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Bessemer City
Phone:	(205)432-3300
Website:	http://2801 Arlington Avenue
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 5th
Total Students:	364
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	19.0
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	19.2
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	294
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 29

Kindergarten 65

Grade 1 61

Grade 2 56

Grade 3 58

Grade 4 43

Grade 5 52