Summary:
Phenix City, Alabama, is served by a single public high school, Central High School, which educates students in grades 9 through 12 within the Phenix City school district.
As the only high school in the area, Central High School represents the entire high school landscape for parents to consider. The school enrolls roughly 1,579 students, with a student-teacher ratio of 18.5:1. A majority of the student body (56.36%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch. Academically, the school holds a consistent 3-star state rating, though its state ranking has slipped from the 67th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 56th percentile in 2025-2026. On a positive note, the graduation rate is strong at 93.8%, which is 2.3 percentage points above the state average. However, test scores trail state averages in all core subjects. For example, in 2025-2026, only 24% of 11th graders were proficient in math compared to 27.21% statewide, and English proficiency was 30.43% versus 33.73% statewide. Science proficiency was the closest to the state average, at 31.29% versus 36.17%.
The most significant concern for parents is chronic absenteeism. At 22.4%, the rate is nearly double the state average of 12.0% and substantially higher than the district's 15.1%. This means nearly one in four students is chronically absent, which likely contributes to the school's lagging test scores and declining state ranking despite a high graduation rate. While the school shows year-over-year improvement in test scores, the state is improving at a faster pace, so the achievement gap persists. Mathematics remains the weakest subject area, with proficiency rates below 25%. Given these factors, Central High School is best described as an average-performing school facing challenges tied to attendance and socioeconomic factors, but it does successfully graduate its students at a rate that exceeds the state benchmark.
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