Tallassee City

The Tallassee City school district is a small, unified system of three schools serving approximately 1,507 students in grades PK-12, with a solid overall 3-star rating that places it in the 61st percentile of Alabama districts.

For parents, the standout school in this district is Southside Middle School, which is the clear academic leader. It holds the district's highest ranking (67th percentile) and has shown the most positive momentum, improving from the 59th to 67th percentile in just one year. This school excels in science, with 8th-grade proficiency at 62%, and strong ELA scores in 5th and 8th grades. It also has an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 4.6%, far below the state average of 12%, suggesting a highly engaged student body. In contrast, Tallassee High School is the district's weakest link, ranking in the 52nd percentile and dropping from the 60th percentile last year. Its 11th-grade proficiency rates trail the state in all subjects, with English being a particular concern (23% vs. 34% statewide), and its graduation rate of 87.7% falls below the state average of 91.5%. Tallassee Elementary School is a consistent, reliable performer, maintaining a 3-star rating and showing strong 3rd-grade ELA and 4th-grade science scores, though its chronic absenteeism rate of 12.1% is slightly above the state average and worth watching.

One of the most striking findings is the "middle school bump" followed by a significant academic slide in high school. While 8th graders at Southside outperform the state in science and ELA, 11th graders at the high school underperform in every subject, suggesting a potential issue with the transition to high school or curriculum rigor. Math scores also fluctuate dramatically year-to-year across all schools, which may reflect changing cohorts or testing conditions. Since all three schools have similar economic profiles (52-58% free/reduced lunch) and favorable student-teacher ratios (around 15:1), the differences in performance point to school-level practices making a real difference—particularly at Southside, whose strategies for attendance and achievement could serve as a model for the rest of the district.