Schools in Valley, AL

The city of Valley, Alabama, is served by six public schools across two districts—Chambers County and Lee County—covering grades PK through 12, with a total enrollment of about 3,389 students in a community where over half of students face economic disadvantage.

For parents, the most striking takeaway is the divide between the two districts. The Lee County schools—Beulah Elementary School and Beulah High School—consistently outperform their Chambers County counterparts. Beulah Elementary is the clear academic leader, earning a 3-star rating and climbing from the 33rd to the 59th percentile over three years, with 80% of 3rd graders proficient in reading. Beulah High School also holds a 3-star rating, boasts a 92.4% graduation rate, and spends significantly more per student ($12,948) than Valley High School ($8,886). In contrast, the Chambers County schools—including Fairfax Elementary School, W F Burns Middle School, and Bob HardingShawmut Elementary—struggle, with the district earning just 1 star and Valley High School sitting in the bottom half of Alabama high schools.

Math is a district-wide crisis: only 14.9% of Valley High 11th graders and 15.8% at Beulah High are proficient, while 7th grade math at W F Burns is just 8.5%. Science is a relative strength, with W F Burns exceeding state averages in 8th grade science. Chronic absenteeism is higher at Beulah High (15%) yet it still outperforms Valley High (10.3%), suggesting instructional quality matters more than attendance alone. Bob Harding-Shawmut stands out for its low poverty rate (43.1%) and low absenteeism, though limited testing data makes it hard to gauge academics. Despite the challenges, graduation rates are solid—91.4% at Valley High—offering hope that students are staying the course even if proficiency lags.