Russell County High School

Russell County High School in Seale, AL, serves approximately 1,078 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Russell County district. The school has earned a 2-star rating and sits in the middle of the pack compared to nearby high schools, though it has shown remarkable progress in recent years that makes it worth a closer look.

The most impressive story here is the graduation rate. In just three years, Russell County High jumped from 83.4% (2021-2022) to an outstanding 97.3% (2024-2025)—now beating every nearby school, including Beauregard High School (92.9%), Smiths Station High School (93.2%), and Central High School (93.8%). That's a nearly 14-point improvement and a clear sign the school is prioritizing getting students across the finish line. However, test scores tell a different story. Math proficiency sits at 19.3% and English at 23.66%—both well below state averages and trailing all three neighboring schools. The school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 18.1%, which is significantly higher than the district average of 10.9% and more than double Beauregard's rate of 8.9%.

There are bright spots worth noting. Hispanic students at Russell County rank in the 77th percentile statewide, showing the school can achieve strong outcomes for specific groups. The school has also cut chronic absenteeism nearly in half from its 2021-2022 peak and doubled its English proficiency scores in just two years. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.5:1—the highest among comparison schools—families should be aware that class sizes may be larger here. Still, the upward trajectory in both graduation rates and test scores suggests a school that is actively improving, even if it still has ground to cover to match its neighbors academically.