High Schools in Cherokee County

Cherokee County is home to a single public high school, Cherokee County High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 in Centre, AL, with a total enrollment of 448 students. The school is part of the Cherokee County district, which is currently ranked 83rd out of 139 districts in Alabama. For parents, the most important takeaway is that this school shows strong potential but also significant inconsistency, making it a school to watch closely year to year.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Cherokee County High School had a standout year, achieving its highest state ranking at 54th out of 374 schools (86th percentile, 4 stars). During that year, 11th graders significantly outperformed the state average in all three subjects, with Science proficiency at 44.44% compared to the state's 32.38%. The school also boasts a strong graduation rate of 95.1%, well above the state average of 91.5%. However, the following year (2025-2026) saw a dramatic decline, with the school dropping to 186th out of 380 schools (51st percentile, 3 stars). Proficiency rates fell sharply across all subjects, most notably in Science, which plummeted to 18.1%—less than half the state average of 36.17%. This volatility suggests performance may be heavily influenced by specific student cohorts.

A key concern for parents is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of 17.1%, which is significantly higher than the state average of 12.0%. This likely contributes to the inconsistent test scores. Additionally, about 47.77% of students are eligible for free/reduced lunch, and per-student spending is $10,679. Despite academic struggles on state assessments, the school maintains a high graduation rate, indicating effective strategies for helping students complete coursework. In the most recent year, the school outperformed its district average in all subjects but only beat the state average in Mathematics (27.62% vs. 27.21%). Parents should be aware that while the school excels in graduating students, academic proficiency on standardized tests—especially in Science—can fluctuate dramatically from year to year.