Crossville High School

Crossville High School is a public high school in Crossville, AL, serving 649 students in grades 9-12 within the DeKalb County school district, where a large majority of students (about 84%) come from low-income households.

When you look at test scores, Crossville's numbers are tough to see. On the 11th-grade state assessment, only about 11% of students were proficient in math, 22% in science, and under 10% in English—that's less than a third of the state average in each subject. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Alabama high schools. However, there's a big bright spot: the graduation rate is 95.2%, which is actually higher than the state average of 91.5%. So while students may not be hitting state proficiency benchmarks, the school is clearly getting kids to the finish line. Another positive is that English Language Learner and Hispanic students are performing relatively well compared to state peers, ranking in the 74th and 58th percentiles respectively—a real strength worth noting.

One of the biggest challenges is chronic absenteeism. About 21% of students miss a significant number of school days, which is nearly double the state rate. That's improved dramatically from 37% a few years ago, but it's still a major hurdle. Compared to nearby schools, Crossville ranks lower than Guntersville High School, Albertville High School, Sardis High School, and Boaz High School. It's most similar to Asbury High School, which serves a similar student population. Crossville also spends less per student ($8,679) than many area schools, which may play a role in the resources available to address these challenges.