Wellborn High School

Wellborn High School in Anniston, AL, serves approximately 425 students in grades 7-12 as part of the Calhoun County school district, with about 68% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The school has shown meaningful improvement over the past decade, climbing from the 16th percentile statewide in 2016-2017 to the 55th percentile in 2024-2025, though it recently dropped to the 31st percentile with a 2-star rating.

One of the most impressive bright spots is the school's exceptional work with special education students. In the most recent year, Wellborn ranked in the 80th percentile statewide for this subgroup—a dramatic jump from the 9th percentile just one year prior. This is a remarkable turnaround that no nearby school can match. The middle school English program is also a clear strength: 8th grade English proficiency hit 78.95%, nearly 21 points above the state average, and 7th grade English also outpaces district and state benchmarks. However, this success doesn't always carry through to high school. While 8th grade math exceeds district and state averages, 11th grade math proficiency sits at just 9.59%, well below both. Graduation rates also lag at 87.1% compared to the district's 95.4% and state's 91.5%, suggesting some students who succeed in middle school aren't persisting to graduation.

Compared to nearby schools, Wellborn outperforms Anniston High School significantly—11th grade English proficiency is more than five times higher—and generally edges out Saks High School in most metrics. However, Alexandria High School and Jacksonville High School consistently outperform Wellborn, with graduation rates above 99% and 11th grade proficiency rates two to three times higher. A concerning trend is the sharp decline in male student performance, which fell from the 62nd to the 15th percentile in just two years. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism has dropped 41% over three years, from 24.7% to 15.5%, though it still exceeds state averages.