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Colbert County

At a glance

70^thof 140 Alabama districts▼ 1

Better than 50% of Alabama districts

Elementary 5 Middle 1 High 3Grades PK, KG-12

425 Highway 72 West
Tuscumbia, AL 35674-2412·(256) 386-8565·All Alabama district rankings →

Statewide performance 2018–2026

2026: better than 50% of districts

Schools

2,573

Students

5-star school

Top rankedNew Bethel Elementary School44^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Cherokee High School up 75 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Cherokee High School 10.3 students per teacher

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Newly ranked this year

Colbert Heights Middle School

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

3★

2★

Compare Alabama districts →See the top-ranked Alabama schools →

Summary:

The Colbert County school district in Alabama serves about 2,573 students across 8 schools—5 elementary schools (PK-6) and 3 high schools (7-12)—with no standalone middle schools, and it ranks 72nd out of 139 districts statewide with a 2-star rating.

If you're looking at elementary options, New Bethel Elementary School is the clear standout, ranking in the 94th percentile statewide (44th out of 686) with a 5-star rating for three straight years. Its 4th grade English proficiency hits 94.4% and science reaches 88.9%—both roughly 35-40 points above state averages. It also has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism (7.1%) and lowest poverty rate (43.4% free/reduced lunch). Hatton Elementary School is a strong second choice, ranking in the 69th percentile despite having the second-highest poverty rate (65.3%), proving that demographics don't dictate outcomes. Cherokee Elementary School sits mid-pack (62nd percentile), while Colbert Heights Elementary School and Leighton Elementary School lag behind, with Leighton ranking in the 33rd percentile and math proficiency nearly 11 points below state averages.

For high schools, Colbert Heights High School is the best option, ranking in the 61st percentile with a 98.5% graduation rate (7 points above state) and strong 11th grade English (35.7%) and science (36.6%) scores. Cherokee High School is more volatile—it improved dramatically in 11th grade math (from 3.6% to 18.8% in one year) but struggles with chronic absenteeism at 23.7%. Colbert County High School is the biggest concern, ranking in the 31st percentile with just 9.6% of 11th graders proficient in English and a graduation rate of 89.4%. Across all high schools, 11th grade math is a universal weakness (16.9-18.8% vs. 27.2% state), and the transition from elementary to 7th grade shows a sharp drop-off in scores—a key area for parents to watch.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)							Summative Assessment Science (2026)			Summative Assessment English (2026)							Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cherokee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1305 North Pike	Cherokee	35616	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 359-6422	226	15	15.1	65.9%	187 (82.7%)	9 (4.0%)	16 (7.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (5.3%)	62.6	258^th of 686 public elementary schools	62.4%		70.2	194^th of 680 public elementary schools	71.5%	64	64.7	40.0	70.6					43.3			58.8	60.0	76.5					$11,764	$2,605	$9,160
Cherokee High School	Public	6-12	850 High School Dr	Cherokee	35616	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 359-4434	206	20	10.3	63.6%	169 (82.0%)	18 (8.7%)	11 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.9%)	41	225^th of 386 public high schools	41.7%		19.6	300^th of 374 public high schools	19.8%	75				13.3	21.4	10.7	18.8		46.4	28.1				36.7	47.6	50.0	25.0	$13,870	$1,445	$12,425
Colbert County High School	Public	6-12	2200 High School St	Leighton	35646	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	No	(256) 446-8214	438	30	14.6	59.8%	265 (60.5%)	117 (26.7%)	32 (7.3%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	19 (4.3%)	31.9	262^nd of 386 public high schools	32.1%		34.1	230^th of 374 public high schools	38.5%	32				27.3	14.1	16.9	18.6		21.5	28.8				47.7	39.1	41.5	9.6	$12,099	$1,497	$10,602
Colbert Heights High School	Public	9-12	6825 Woodmont Dr	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	No	(256) 383-7875	467	31	15.0	56.5%	417 (89.3%)	12 (2.6%)	20 (4.3%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (3.2%)	55	151^st of 386 public high schools	60.9%		56.7	146^th of 374 public high schools	61.0%	5							16.9			36.6							35.7	$10,428	$855	$9,574
Hatton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2130 Hatton School Rd	Leighton	35646	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 446-5679	236	18	13.2	65.3%	156 (66.1%)	48 (20.3%)	8 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.7%)	68.1	214^th of 686 public elementary schools	68.8%		67.6	215^th of 680 public elementary schools	68.4%	1	70.0	35.5	82.1					38.7			72.5	61.3	85.7					$13,061	$1,843	$11,218
Leighton Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	8100 Old Highway 20	Leighton	35646	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 446-8351	355	26	13.8	61.4%	216 (60.8%)	63 (17.7%)	38 (10.7%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.6%)	33 (9.3%)	35.8	458^th of 686 public elementary schools	33.2%		39	433^rd of 680 public elementary schools	36.3%	25	48.6	29.7	20.9					37.8			71.4	43.2	48.8					$12,176	$2,081	$10,095
New Bethel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 New Bethel Road	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 383-6471	159	11	15.0	43.4%	148 (93.1%)	2 (1.3%)	5 (3.1%)	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	91.2	44^th of 686 public elementary schools	93.6%		92.1	37^th of 680 public elementary schools	94.6%	7	72.7	77.8	73.9					88.9			77.3	94.4	82.6					$11,103	$1,876	$9,226
Colbert Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1551 Sunset Dr	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 381-6132	486	32	15.1	56.0%	429 (88.3%)	9 (1.9%)	25 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.7%)	55.6	312^th of 686 public elementary schools	54.5%		50.2	355^th of 680 public elementary schools	47.8%	43	48.2	44.3	38.5					49.2			63.6	50.8	80.0					$8,666	$1,990	$6,676
Colbert Heights Middle School	Public	6-8	6825 Woodmont Drive	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(256) 383-7875	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	61.8	145^th of 449 public middle schools	67.7%					(n/a)				41.0	29.4	17.1			62.5					54.2	56.5	69.3

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lauderdale County	11.79 mi	15	54^th
Tuscumbia City	14.52 mi	6	57^th
Sheffield City	15.37 mi	4	101^st
Florence City	15.64 mi	10	45^th
Muscle Shoals City	17.25 mi	7

See the top AL Alabama districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.