Summary:
The Anniston City school district is a small, urban system of five schools serving roughly 1,821 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, and it currently ranks in the bottom 11% of Alabama districts with a 1-star rating.
For parents, the standout school is Golden Springs Elementary School, which is the clear academic leader in the district. It posts the highest test scores, including a 52.73% proficiency rate in 5th grade English, and has the lowest chronic absenteeism at just 6.5%—nearly half the district average. In contrast, Anniston Middle School struggles the most, with a notable "7th grade slump" where English proficiency drops from 44.57% in 6th grade to 30.66% in 7th grade, and it also has the highest chronic absenteeism at 17.1%. Anniston High School is a turnaround story, jumping from the 2nd to the 18th percentile in one year and achieving a 92% graduation rate, though its proficiency rates remain critically low (11.76% in math, 18.75% in English). Randolph Park Elementary School sits in the middle, with moderate scores and the highest poverty rate in the district at 84.37%. Cobb Preparatory Academy is an outlier: it serves only PK-K, has the lowest economic disadvantage (50.74% free/reduced lunch), but receives the least funding per student ($9,058) and has no test data available.
A key takeaway is the spending-achievement paradox: Anniston High School spends the most per student ($15,432) yet has the weakest English scores, while Golden Springs Elementary spends far less ($11,040) and achieves the best results. Attendance is a strong predictor of success, and while the district faces systemic challenges, every school with current ranking data improved year-over-year, suggesting targeted interventions are beginning to work.
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