Summary:
There are 9 high schools in Mobile, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 (with two schools also serving grades 6-12) and a combined student population of about 7,821, spread across the Mobile County and MAEF Public Charter Schools districts.
For parents, the standout academic performers are WP Davidson High School and Baker High School. Davidson ranks in the 89th percentile statewide with proficiency rates around 44% in math, science, and English—far exceeding district and state averages. Baker is the city's success story for improvement, jumping 68 spots in state ranking in one year and boasting the highest graduation rate at 93.3%. In contrast, Lillie B Williamson High School and Ben C Rain High School struggle significantly, with math proficiency below 11% and chronic absenteeism above 28%. John L Leflore Magnet School, despite its magnet designation, ranks in the 16th percentile, performing similarly to non-magnet schools in high-poverty areas.
Poverty strongly correlates with achievement: the top schools have the lowest free/reduced lunch rates (46-55%), while the bottom schools all exceed 83%. However, WP Davidson proves this isn't destiny, outperforming state averages despite a majority-poverty student body. The alternative schools show extreme variance: Continuous Learning Center spends $56,017 per student—seven times more than others—yet has a 4.6% graduation rate, while Acceleration Day and Evening Academy achieves a 91.8% graduation rate with the lowest chronic absenteeism (6.3%) despite low test scores. Evening Educational Options serves just 38 students with a unique 7.89% poverty rate, making it incomparable to traditional schools. Overall, Mobile's high schools reveal that school-level decisions matter enormously—the gap between the city's best and worst performers is vast, but the success of Davidson and Baker offers a roadmap for improvement.
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