High Schools in DeKalb County

DeKalb County, Alabama is home to one high school in this analysis, Crossville High School, which serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 649 students within the DeKalb County school district.

For parents considering Crossville High School, the most striking finding is the contrast between its strong graduation rate and its low academic proficiency. The school graduates 95.2% of its students, which is above the state average of 91.5%, yet only 9.63% of 11th graders are proficient in English, 11.35% in math, and 21.99% in science. These scores place the school well below both the district and state averages, with the English gap being particularly severe at 24 points below the state. The school has consistently earned just 1 star in state rankings and has slipped to the bottom 18th percentile of Alabama high schools. A major concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 21.4%—double the district rate of 10.6% and nearly double the state average. This issue, combined with a high poverty rate (83.82% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch), likely contributes to the academic struggles. On a positive note, science proficiency improved dramatically from 14.11% to 21.99% in one year, showing that targeted efforts can yield results.

Compared to its own district, Crossville High School lags significantly in every subject—roughly 11-12 percentage points behind the DeKalb County average. While the district itself underperforms the state, Crossville is among the lower-performing schools within it. The "graduation paradox" is worth noting: students are graduating at high rates despite low test scores, which may suggest a focus on credit recovery rather than mastery of grade-level content. For parents, the key takeaway is that while the school successfully retains students through graduation, the low proficiency rates—especially in English—indicate that many students may not be fully prepared for college or career after leaving. Addressing chronic absenteeism and investing in literacy interventions would be critical next steps for improvement.