Russell County

Russell County Schools in Alabama is a district of 7 schools—5 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school—serving roughly 3,850 students in grades PK-12, with a district ranking of 94th out of 139 Alabama districts (32nd percentile, 2-star rating).

For parents, the standout story is Ladonia Elementary School, which achieves the district’s best academic results despite having the highest poverty rate (62.69% free/reduced lunch). It ranks in the 47th percentile statewide, with 3rd grade math at 46.58% proficiency (25 points above the district average) and 5th grade English at 72.86%, both exceeding state averages. In contrast, Oliver Elementary School shows the most concerning trends—it ranks in the 26th percentile (1-star) and saw 3rd grade math drop from 32.97% to 20.51%, despite having the lowest student-teacher ratio (16.0) in the district. Mount Olive Intermediate School is a consistent performer, holding steady in math and improving 5th grade English by 10.5 points to 71.56%, while Dixie Elementary School shows dramatic year-over-year swings (4th grade math more than doubled to 41.67%, but 5th grade math fell from 50% to 23.08%), likely due to its small cohort of 251 students.

The secondary schools present a stark contrast. Russell County High School boasts a 97.3% graduation rate (well above the state’s 91.5%) but struggles academically, with only 19.3% math and 23.66% English proficiency, plus a chronic absenteeism rate of 18.1%—nearly double the district average. Russell County Middle School reveals a "math cliff," with proficiency dropping to 14.5-17.4% compared to 25-35% at the elementary level. District-wide, math is the weakest subject at every grade, while science is a relative strength (elementary near 50%, middle school at 50.58%). Mt Olive Primary School has the lowest poverty rate (32.31%) and absenteeism (7.6%), and its split model with the Intermediate school appears effective. Per-student spending varies from $8,154 (Middle School) to $11,684 (Dixie), but higher spending doesn’t guarantee better outcomes, suggesting leadership and instruction matter more.