Summary:
The Pell City school district in Alabama serves approximately 3,577 students across 6 schools—3 elementary schools (K-4), 2 middle schools (one serving grades 4-7 and one serving grades 7-8), and 1 high school (grades 9-12)—and ranks 38th out of 139 districts statewide with a 4-star rating.
For parents, the standout news is that elementary education here is a clear strength. Iola Roberts Elementary School is the district's top performer, ranking 119th of 686 elementary schools in Alabama (83rd percentile) with exceptional 4th-grade science proficiency (72.29%) and the lowest chronic absenteeism in the district at just 4.6%—all while serving the second-highest poverty rate (73.38% free/reduced lunch). Walter M Kennedy School has shown remarkable improvement, jumping from the 55th to 81st percentile in one year, with 3rd-grade math proficiency of 66.67% (nearly 22 points above the state average). Eden Elementary School also made dramatic gains, more than doubling its 4th-grade math proficiency from 22.78% to 42.86% despite having the district's highest poverty rate (77.75%).
However, the district faces a significant "achievement cliff" at the secondary level. While 3rd-grade math proficiency averages around 59% across elementary schools, it plummets to just 19.53% by 7th grade at Duran Junior High School. Williams Intermediate School (serving grades 4-7) shows 5th-grade math at 24.44% versus the state's 39.06%. At Pell City High School, 11th-grade English proficiency is 27.18%—6.55 points below the state average—and chronic absenteeism rises to 13.5%. Science remains a relative strength across all levels, and the district's graduation rate is 89.7%. Notably, spending doesn't correlate with outcomes: the high school spends the most per student ($9,837) yet shows the weakest relative performance, while top-performing Iola Roberts spends below the district average.
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