High Schools in Alabama Aerospace and Aviation

Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School is the only high school in the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation district, serving grades 9 through 12 in Bessemer, AL, with a small enrollment of 161 students.

This specialized aerospace and aviation magnet school has a distinct profile, but its academic results are mixed. The school ranks 253rd out of 380 Alabama high schools, placing it in the bottom third statewide. In English, 34.88% of students are proficient, which is slightly above the state average of 33.73%. However, the school struggles significantly in STEM subjects: only 16.28% of students are proficient in science (compared to the state average of 36.17%) and just 11.63% are proficient in math (versus the state average of 27.21%). This is particularly concerning given the school’s aerospace and aviation focus, which relies heavily on strong math and science foundations. The science proficiency rate also dropped sharply from 28.3% to 16.28% in just one year, a 12-point decline that warrants attention.

A major challenge is chronic absenteeism, which stands at a very high 31.1%—nearly 2.6 times the state average of 12.0%. This means about one in three students is regularly missing school, which almost certainly contributes to the low test scores and the recent decline in science. The school also serves a high-need population, with 61.49% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Despite its small size, the student-teacher ratio is 20.1:1, which is not particularly low. While the school slightly outperforms the state in English, its core STEM subjects are well below average, and the combination of high poverty, extreme absenteeism, and declining test scores suggests that targeted interventions in attendance and STEM instruction are critical to helping this school fulfill its unique mission.