Alabama Destinations Career Academy

Alabama Destinations Career Academy is a large, online public school in Chickasaw, AL, serving 1,663 students in grades K-12 within the Chickasaw City district, where about 71% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most remarkable thing about this school is its student engagement. For four straight years, it has reported a 0.0% chronic absenteeism rate—meaning nearly every student shows up for their online classes. That's dramatically better than the state average of 12.0% and far better than nearby in-person alternative schools like Augusta Evans School (23.5%) and The Pathway (14.8%). The flexible online model appears to be a powerful fit for this student population. The school also outperforms its own district on graduation, with a 74.1% rate versus 69.3% for the district—a gap that has widened over the past two years.

Academically, the school shows a clear pattern: English and Science are relative strengths, while Math lags behind. For example, in 2025-2026, 44.2% of 8th graders were proficient in English, but only 9.4% were proficient in Math. Science has shown impressive growth, with 8th-grade proficiency jumping from 15.0% to 36.3% in just two years. Math scores, while still low, are also improving steadily across all grade levels. Compared to Baldwin Preparatory Academy—an alternative school in the higher-performing Baldwin County district—this school's test scores are significantly lower, but that gap reflects the challenges of serving a much higher-poverty population. The consistent upward trend in scores, combined with perfect attendance, suggests a school that is steadily finding its footing and effectively serving its students.