Florala High School

Florala High School is a small public school in Florala, AL, serving 233 students in grades 7 through 12 within the Covington County school district. The school has made a remarkable turnaround in recent years, jumping from a 1-star rating to a 4-star rating and ranking 87th out of 380 Alabama high schools in the 2025-2026 school year—a leap of 123 spots from the previous year.

What makes this improvement especially noteworthy is that the school achieves strong results while serving a student body where 56% qualify for free or reduced lunch. In fact, Florala ranks in the 84th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with low-income students, outperforming its overall ranking. The school's 11th graders significantly beat both district and state averages in Science (42% proficient vs. 36% statewide) and English (44% proficient vs. 34% statewide). The graduation rate is also a bright spot, reaching 97.2% in 2023-2024, well above the state average. Chronic absenteeism has dropped dramatically from 22.3% to just 7.8%, now well below the state average of 12%.

Compared to nearby Samson High School, Florala's juniors outperformed their counterparts in both Science and English, despite serving a similar demographic profile. However, there is a clear area of concern: 7th and 8th grade math scores lag significantly behind district averages, with only 21% of 8th graders proficient compared to 43% districtwide. This suggests the school excels at preparing upperclassmen but needs to strengthen math instruction in earlier grades to sustain its momentum. For parents, Florala represents a school on an upward trajectory, particularly effective at supporting students from low-income backgrounds and getting them to graduation.