Summary:
The city of Bessemer, Alabama, is served by 14 public schools—9 elementary, 2 middle, and 3 high schools—spanning four districts, with a total enrollment of about 5,290 students.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that school quality varies dramatically depending on where you live. The Jefferson County schools are the clear standouts. Oak Grove Elementary School is the top-ranked school in the area (55th percentile), with 3rd grade math proficiency nearly double the state average. Concord Elementary School also shines, with an exceptional 77.6% 3rd grade English proficiency and the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the dataset (2.3%). At the high school level, Oak Grove High School leads with a 98.9% graduation rate, well above the state average. In contrast, most Bessemer City schools struggle significantly. Bessemer City High School ranks in the 7th percentile with a 41.7% chronic absenteeism rate, and Westhills Elementary School ranks in the 1st percentile despite spending the most per student ($14,067).
Money doesn't predict success here—Oak Grove Elementary spends just $8,940 per student and outperforms Westhills, which spends 57% more. The Empower Schools of Alabama show promise, with Empower Community School Lower School seeing 3rd grade math proficiency jump from 2.78% to 18.52% in one year. The specialized Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School offers a unique thematic model with just 161 students. Overall, Jefferson County schools serve a more affluent population (47.5% free/reduced lunch) and consistently outperform Bessemer City schools (78.1% free/reduced lunch) by 20-40 percentage points, highlighting deep educational inequities that parents should carefully consider when choosing a school.
Thank you for your feedback!