High Schools in Walker County

Walker County, Alabama is home to five high schools—Dora High School, Cordova High School, Curry High School, Carbon Hill High School, and Oakman High School—serving roughly 1,955 students in grades 9-12 within the Walker County district, which currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks 71st out of 139 districts in Alabama.

For parents, the standout school academically is Cordova High School, which leads the county with a 58th percentile state ranking and the highest proficiency rates in math (20%), science (31%), and English (36%). However, Cordova also has the lowest graduation rate in the county at 84.3%, well below the district average of 93%, suggesting a wide gap between its top performers and struggling students. The most improved school is Carbon Hill High School, which jumped 52 spots in the state rankings and saw English proficiency soar from 14.8% to 35.7% in one year—now exceeding the state average. On the other end, Oakman High School is a concern, having fallen 176 places over two years to rank 323rd, with the lowest math proficiency (5.8%) in the county.

Chronic absenteeism is a hidden issue, with Carbon Hill (25%) and Cordova (22%) having rates double the district average, while Dora High School stands out with the highest graduation rate (98.1%) and lowest absenteeism (9.4%) despite having the highest poverty rate (61.3% free/reduced lunch). Mathematics is a county-wide weakness—every school falls well below the state average of 27.2%, with even the best school (Cordova at 20%) trailing significantly. Notably, spending per student shows no clear link to outcomes, as Curry High School spends the most ($10,592) yet ranks 285th, while Cordova spends the least ($9,922) and performs best.