Summary:
Hillcrest High School is the only high school in Conecuh County, Alabama, serving roughly 290 students in grades 9-12 in the rural town of Evergreen. This small school faces significant challenges, with academic proficiency rates far below state averages and a chronic absenteeism rate that is more than three times the state norm.
Academically, Hillcrest's 2025-26 test scores are concerning. Only 3.28% of 11th graders are proficient in mathematics, compared to the state average of 27.21%, while English proficiency sits at 13.11% versus the state's 33.73%. Science is the relative bright spot at 18.03%, though still well below the 36.17% state average. Math proficiency also dropped sharply from 9.33% the previous year, while science improved by 10 points. The school's graduation rate of 88.8% is slightly below the state's 91.5%, suggesting students may be graduating without full academic readiness. Hillcrest's state ranking has slipped from 305th to 336th out of roughly 380 schools over the past two years.
The most pressing issue is attendance: 37% of students are chronically absent, compared to just 12% statewide. With 75.86% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income population, and this absenteeism crisis likely compounds academic struggles. Per-student spending of $13,441 is reasonable, indicating that additional funding alone may not solve the problem. For parents, the key takeaway is that Hillcrest needs urgent intervention—particularly around attendance and math instruction—to ensure students leave with skills that prepare them for college or careers. The district as a whole also underperforms, ranking 115th out of 139 Alabama districts, so families should be aware that these challenges are systemic across the county.
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