Summary:
The Tallapoosa County school district in Alabama serves approximately 2,822 students across five schools—two elementary schools, two high schools serving grades 6-12, and one alternative school—and ranks 73rd out of 139 districts in the state with a 2-star rating.
For parents, the standout choice is clearly the Reeltown cluster. Reeltown High School leads the district with a 98.2% graduation rate (well above the 91.5% state average) and exceptional 8th-grade math proficiency at 50.7%, nearly double the state norm. Its feeder school, Reeltown Elementary School, posts an impressive 84.13% 3rd-grade English proficiency—20 points above the state average—and does so with the lowest per-student spending in the district ($7,425). Meanwhile, Horseshoe Bend High School, despite its "alternative" label, is a hidden gem: it boasts a 93.3% graduation rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism (9.8%), and 7th-grade math scores (46.88%) that nearly double the state average. In contrast, Dadeville High School struggles significantly, with 11th-grade proficiency rates of just 8.33% in math, 22.92% in science, and 18.75% in English—all far below state averages—plus the district's highest student-teacher ratio (21.2) and a 1-star rating.
The most concerning trend is at Dadeville Elementary School, where chronic absenteeism hits 18.5% (54% above the state average) and 69.35% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch. While its 3rd-grade math (55.41%) slightly edges out Reeltown Elementary (50.79%), its 3rd-grade English (64.86%) lags nearly 20 points behind. Interestingly, both high schools show a strong 8th-grade math anomaly—Reeltown at 50.7% and Dadeville at 34.48% both exceed the state's 26.36%—but this advantage fades by 11th grade. The district also shows consistent year-over-year English improvement, and Reeltown's success despite lower spending suggests that school culture and instructional quality may matter more than raw funding levels.
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