Selma High School

Selma High School in Selma, AL, is a public high school serving 680 students in grades 9-12 within the Selma City district, where 87% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has a 1-star state rating, placing it in the bottom fifth of Alabama high schools, but it has shown meaningful progress in several key areas over the past few years.

The most encouraging news for parents is the school's dramatic improvement in graduation rates, which have climbed from 72.9% in 2021-2022 to 86.6% in 2024-2025—a nearly 14-point jump that now closely approaches the state average of 91.5%. This rate outperforms Southside High School (78.3%) and Saints Virtual Academy (71.4%), while nearly matching Dallas County High School (87.1%). Chronic absenteeism has also been cut by more than half in just two years, dropping from 47.5% to 19.5%. Perhaps the standout success story is the school's work with special education students, who ranked in the 81st percentile statewide in 2025-2026—a remarkable turnaround from the 21st percentile just two years prior.

Despite these gains, test scores remain critically low, particularly in mathematics, where only 6.8% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 27.2%. Science (17.7%) and English (15.2%) proficiency rates also trail state averages significantly, though Selma High outperforms nearby Keith MiddleHigh School in both subjects. The school's performance dipped in 2025-2026 after a strong 2024-2025 peak, raising questions about sustainability. Still, the overall trajectory from 2018-2019 remains positive, and the school spends slightly less per student ($10,857) than several comparable schools while achieving better outcomes in multiple areas—a sign of relative efficiency in the face of significant challenges.