John L Leflore Magnet School

John L Leflore Magnet School is a public high school in Mobile, AL, serving 582 students in grades 9-12 within the Mobile County school district.

Leflore faces significant challenges, with academic proficiency rates well below district and state averages. In 11th grade, only 8.48% of students are proficient in math, 18.18% in science, and 11.8% in English. While these numbers are low, they represent a notable improvement over the previous year. The school also serves a predominantly low-income student body, with 85.74% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. On a positive note, the school has made dramatic progress in reducing chronic absenteeism, cutting it from 54.3% to 22.8% in a single year, though it remains nearly double the state average. The graduation rate of 81.5% is below the district (85.9%) and state (91.5%) averages.

Compared to nearby schools, Leflore outperforms Lillie B Williamson High School in math and science, and shows similar performance to CF Vigor High School, which serves a similarly high-poverty population. However, it lags significantly behind Murphy High School and especially WP Davidson High School, where proficiency rates are 3-5 times higher. The school has shown particular progress with its African American student population, improving from the 23rd to the 47th percentile statewide. However, there is a stark gender gap, with female students performing significantly better than male students. Special education students have also seen a decline in relative performance. While the school faces considerable obstacles, the recent improvements in attendance and test scores suggest positive momentum.