Best Public Schools in Berry, AL

Berry, Alabama is served by two schools within the Fayette County district, which ranks in the 60th percentile statewide and serves a total of 605 students across grades PK-12 in a small, rural community.

Berry Elementary School (PK-6, 360 students) is the clear standout, showing a remarkable upward trajectory with its state ranking jumping from the 49th to the 70th percentile over three years. The school excels in early literacy, with 3rd grade ELA proficiency at 89.13%—nearly 25 points above the state average—and 4th grade math proficiency at 61.9%, outperforming the district by over 18 points. However, there is a notable 5th grade math slump, where proficiency drops to 34.04%, falling below the state average. In contrast, Berry High School (7-12, 245 students) struggles with volatile performance, swinging from the 52nd to the 13th percentile and back to the 48th percentile in recent years. The high school's most urgent issue is its 62% graduation rate—nearly 30 points below the state average—along with weak 11th grade math proficiency at just 20%.

Both schools share a consistent pattern where ELA proficiency far exceeds math proficiency, and both report chronic absenteeism rates around 16%, notably higher than the state's 12%. Berry High School does show a hidden strength in middle school ELA, with 7th and 8th grade proficiency rates (66% and 61.11%) exceeding state averages. Interestingly, the high school spends $1,755 more per student than the elementary school yet produces substantially weaker outcomes, raising questions about resource allocation. With only about 41 students per grade at the high school, small cohort sizes contribute to significant year-to-year swings in performance data. The elementary school's success in early literacy and its strong upward trend provide a promising foundation, but immediate intervention is needed at the high school to address the graduation rate crisis and secondary math challenges.