Summary:
Tallapoosa County, Alabama is served by two public high schools—Dadeville High School and Reeltown High School—both covering grades 6 through 12 within the Tallapoosa County district, which ranks in the middle of Alabama districts with a 2-star rating.
Reeltown High School is the clear academic leader in the county. It boasts a 98.2% graduation rate—well above the state average of 91.5%—and a low 8.8% chronic absenteeism rate. Its 11th grade English proficiency (34%) actually exceeds the state average (33.7%), and its math proficiency (16.1%) is double that of Dadeville (8.3%). Reeltown also has a lower student-teacher ratio (19.4:1) and spends about $824 more per student than Dadeville. Dadeville High School, by contrast, struggles with a 89.3% graduation rate, higher chronic absenteeism (11.8%), and proficiency rates that trail both district and state averages in math, English, and science. Dadeville also serves a higher percentage of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (67.6% free/reduced lunch vs. 47.5% at Reeltown), which likely contributes to the achievement gap.
The most promising finding is the strong 8th grade math performance at both schools—Reeltown hits 50.7% proficiency and Dadeville 34.5%, both exceeding the state average of 26.4%. However, both schools see a dramatic drop-off by 11th grade, with Reeltown falling to 16.1% and Dadeville to 8.3% in math. This suggests effective middle school instruction that isn't carrying through to high school. For parents, Reeltown offers stronger overall outcomes, while Dadeville shows improvement in English and science year-over-year but faces greater economic and staffing challenges. The district's middle school math programs are a clear strength to build on.
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