High Schools in Choctaw County

Choctaw County, Alabama is home to two high schools serving grades 7-12: Choctaw County High School in Butler and Southern Choctaw High School in Gilbertown, both part of the Choctaw County district, which currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 117th out of 139 districts in the state.

For parents, the standout story is the dramatic divergence between these two schools. Southern Choctaw High School is the clear leader, having improved its state ranking by 79 positions in a single year to reach the 33rd percentile with a 2-star rating. It boasts a 93.1% graduation rate, exceeding both district and state averages, and outperforms its rival in nearly every academic subject—for example, 12.5% of its 11th graders are proficient in math compared to just 6.06% at Choctaw County High School, and 28.13% are proficient in science versus 12.12%. In contrast, Choctaw County High School has fallen to the 8th percentile with a 0-star rating, a graduation rate of just 86.0%, and alarmingly low proficiency rates across all subjects. Both schools serve similarly economically disadvantaged populations, with over 76% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and both have comparable enrollment sizes (231 and 211 students).

Several critical takeaways emerge for families. First, math proficiency is in crisis at both schools—7th-grade math proficiency is 0% at Choctaw County High School and 6.9% at Southern Choctaw High School, compared to a 24.46% state average. Second, there is a troubling "7th grade peak" pattern where English proficiency starts near state averages but collapses by 11th grade, suggesting cumulative learning gaps. Interestingly, Southern Choctaw High School achieves better results despite higher chronic absenteeism (19.4% vs. 15.2%), and it spends $1,354 more per student ($12,337 vs. $10,983), which may explain its recent turnaround. Finally, the disconnect between high graduation rates and low academic proficiency suggests that while students are graduating, they may not be mastering core competencies, a factor parents should consider when evaluating these schools.