Summary:
The city of Red Bay, Alabama is home to two schools - Red Bay Elementary and Red Bay High School, both part of the Franklin County school district. While the schools share some similarities, there are notable differences in their academic performance and other key metrics.
Red Bay High School has consistently ranked in the top 25-30% of Alabama high schools over the past 3 years, earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger in the 2024-2025 school year. Its 90% 4-year graduation rate is also notably high. In contrast, Red Bay Elementary students significantly outperform the county and state averages in 4th and 5th grade math, with proficiency rates over 50% compared to 40% or lower for the broader region. The elementary school also demonstrates strong English/Language Arts proficiency across all grade levels, often exceeding county and state averages by 5-10 percentage points.
Both schools have relatively low student-teacher ratios, with Red Bay Elementary at 16:1 and Red Bay High School at 15.3:1. However, they share a concerning 14.8% chronic absenteeism rate, which likely contributes to the academic performance gaps observed, particularly at the high school level. Additionally, the higher free/reduced lunch rate at the high school (60.2%) compared to the elementary school (48.8%) may indicate greater economic challenges for those students, which could also impact their academic outcomes.
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