High Schools in Blount County

The five high schools in Blount County, Alabama, serve approximately 2,551 students across grades 7-12 in a rural district that ranks in the top third of the state. The district includes Hayden High School, JB Pennington High School, Susan Moore High School, Locust Fork High School, and Cleveland High School.

Cleveland High School stands out as the most consistent performer, holding a 4-star rating for three straight years and ranking in the top 18% of Alabama schools. It also has an astonishingly low chronic absenteeism rate of 0.2%, far below the state average of 12%, and leads the district in per-student spending. Hayden High School is the rising star, jumping from the 64th to the 83rd percentile in one year and posting the district's highest graduation rate at 98.5%. Locust Fork High School excels in math, with 11th-grade proficiency at 35%, well above state averages. Susan Moore High School shows steady improvement but has the highest economic disadvantage rate (64%) and lower test scores. JB Pennington High School is the most concerning, having fallen from a 4-star to a 2-star rating in two years, with critically low math proficiency (16% in 11th grade) and the district's lowest graduation rate.

All five schools exceed the state's 91.5% graduation rate, and chronic absenteeism is below half the state average district-wide. However, proficiency in math and English generally lags state averages, with a notable decline from middle school to high school in several schools. Science is a district strength, with Cleveland and Hayden posting strong 8th-grade scores. Spending does not clearly predict success—Hayden spends the least per student yet achieves top results, while Locust Fork spends more but ranks lower overall. For parents, Cleveland and Hayden are the strongest choices, while JB Pennington warrants careful consideration given its rapid decline.