Best Public Schools in Centre, AL

The city of Centre, Alabama, is served by three public schools within the Cherokee County district, offering a complete educational pathway from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade for approximately 1,563 students. These schools include Centre Elementary School (PK-4), Centre Middle School (5-8), and Cherokee County High School (9-12).

For parents, the standout performer is Cherokee County High School, which posted a remarkable 95.1% graduation rate and, in the 2024-2025 school year, ranked in the 86th percentile statewide with 11th-grade math proficiency 62% above the state average. However, its rankings have been volatile, and its 11th-grade science proficiency collapsed from 44.44% to 18.10% in a single year—a dramatic drop that warrants investigation. Centre Middle School is the most consistent bright spot, steadily climbing from the 65th to the 71st percentile over three years. It excels in English, with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders all outperforming state averages by 10-14 percentage points, despite receiving roughly $1,500 less per student than the other schools. Centre Elementary School is the district's weak link, with rankings falling from the 61st to the 47th percentile and math proficiency running 5-8 points below state averages in every grade tested.

Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide concern, with all three schools exceeding the state's 12% rate—Centre Middle School is highest at 19.1%, meaning nearly one in five students is chronically absent. Math proficiency also declines as students advance, with 5th-grade math at just 21.74% proficiency. The elementary school's struggles create a feeder problem, as students arrive at middle school with weaker foundational skills. While the district holds a 2-star rating, this masks significant variation: the middle school earns 4 stars, the high school 3 stars, and the elementary school drags down the overall average. Priorities should include investigating the high school's science decline, tackling absenteeism, and strengthening elementary math instruction.