High Schools in Roanoke City

Handley High School is the sole public high school in Roanoke City, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 with 366 students in a district that ranks 78th out of 139 statewide. The school stands out for exceptional student engagement—its 98.1% graduation rate and 8.7% chronic absenteeism rate both significantly beat state averages (91.5% and 12.0%, respectively)—even though 61.2% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. With a favorable 13.3:1 student-teacher ratio and per-student spending of $9,015, the school has solid structural foundations, but its academic performance tells a more complex story.

Academically, Handley shows a clear split between literacy and STEM subjects. English proficiency (38.03%) exceeds the state average (33.73%) and improved by 1.44 points year-over-year, making it a genuine bright spot. However, math proficiency (25.68%) sits slightly below the state average (27.21%), while science proficiency (28.77%) lags badly behind the state's 36.17%—a 7.4-point gap that widened dramatically with a 6.6-point drop from the previous year. This decline has driven a steady fall in state ranking: from 80th (79th percentile, 4 stars) in 2023-2024 to 140th (63rd percentile, 3 stars) in 2025-2026, a 60-position slide over three years.

For parents, the key takeaway is that Handley excels at keeping students engaged and graduating them, but struggles with quantitative subjects, particularly science. The school's strong attendance and graduation metrics suggest a supportive environment, yet the sharp science decline warrants immediate attention—likely pointing to curriculum or instructional challenges rather than student disengagement. The Roanoke City district's 2-star rating (44th percentile) is dragged down by this high school performance, though the district's overall rank (78th of 139) is higher than the school's current position, hinting that elementary and middle schools may be performing better. With a favorable student-teacher ratio and strong engagement metrics, Handley has the capacity to reverse its STEM slide, but parents should watch science and math scores closely in coming years.