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Helena High School

Q: Is Helena High School a good school?

Helena High School ranks 49 th of 374 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 374 Alabama High Schools

Better than 87% of Alabama high schools

Summary

Helena High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Helena, Alabama, which is part of the Shelby County School District. With consistently high academic performance, low chronic absenteeism, and strong graduation rates, Helena High School is a standout institution in the region.

The school's academic achievements are particularly noteworthy, with 36.36% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 35.64% in the Shelby County district and 23.71% statewide. Similar trends are observed in Science and English assessments, where Helena High School outperforms both the district and state averages. Additionally, the school maintains high four-year graduation rates, ranging from 88.2% to 94.9% in recent years, which are consistently higher than the state average.

When compared to nearby high schools, Helena High School stands out as a top performer. For instance, it outperforms Oak Mountain High School, another Shelby County school, in academic assessments and has higher graduation rates. In contrast, Bessemer City High School and McAdory High School, which are in different districts, have significantly lower academic performance and higher chronic absenteeism rates.

1,383

Students ?

17.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,579

Per pupil spending ?

26.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1310 Hillsboro Parkway
Helena, AL 35080

(205) 682-3650

District: Shelby County

Feeder schools for Helena High School:

Elementary:	Helena Elementary School
	Helena Intermediate School
Middle:	Helena Middle

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.5%

African American:

16.5%

Hispanic:

9.2%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Helena High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2015 → 87th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (41% vs 29% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 13% of Alabama high schools

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the Alabama average (92%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 8 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school41%

District avg39%

Alabama avg29%

49^th of 374

Alabama public high schools ?

Top 13%▼ down 8 pts since 2015

From top 5% (2015) to top 13% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7High Schools in the Shelby County

34^th of 135Shelby County among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	85.5	49 of 374	86.9%	★★★★☆
2024	91.0	32 of 378	91.5%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	37 of 371	90.0%	★★★★★
2022	89.2	38 of 367	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	90.4	35 of 371	90.6%	★★★★★
2019	93.3	24 of 366	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.8	15 of 356	95.8%	★★★★★
2017	94.2	19 of 353	94.6%	★★★★★
2016	96.0	14 of 351	96.0%	★★★★★
2015	94.3	18 of 353	94.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	76.3	32 of 228	86.0%	★★★★☆
2024	74.8	36 of 231	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	81.0	25 of 224	88.8%	★★★★☆
2022	92.3	14 of 222	93.7%	★★★★★
2021	97.7	5 of 228	97.8%	★★★★★
2019	86.8	17 of 224	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.5	7 of 223	96.9%	★★★★★
2017	80.7	23 of 189	87.8%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	80.6	8 of 75	89.3%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	77.7	76 of 359	78.8%	★★★★☆
2024	90.4	32 of 366	91.3%	★★★★★
2023	88.1	38 of 358	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	83.1	47 of 367	87.2%	★★★★☆
2021	88.1	38 of 359	89.4%	★★★★☆
2019	91.5	28 of 354	92.1%	★★★★★
2018	96.2	13 of 347	96.3%	★★★★★
2017	94.5	18 of 343	94.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	79.8	24 of 142	83.1%	★★★★☆
2024	50.5	59 of 139	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.1	26 of 122	78.7%	★★★★☆
2022	67.1	30 of 114	73.7%	★★★★☆
2021	98.5	3 of 113	97.3%	★★★★★
2019	61.6	31 of 103	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	97.4	2 of 95	97.9%	★★★★★
2017	86.2	12 of 93	87.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	69.0	87 of 367	76.3%	★★★★☆
2024	85.8	31 of 375	91.7%	★★★★★
2023	75.3	68 of 349	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	72.5	63 of 361	82.5%	★★★★☆
2021	96.0	10 of 361	97.2%	★★★★★
2019	64.9	111 of 358	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	93.7	13 of 349	96.3%	★★★★★
2017	75.3	46 of 315	85.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	88.8	38 of 363	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	88.5	33 of 368	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	89.0	37 of 358	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	90.4	33 of 366	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	88.3	34 of 366	90.7%	★★★★★
2019	92.8	20 of 357	94.4%	★★★★★
2018	95.2	17 of 350	95.1%	★★★★★
2017	90.2	25 of 339	92.6%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	28.8	24 of 29	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	43.6	15 of 24	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	16 of 27	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.9	7 of 26	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	69.8	6 of 25	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	86.0	1 of 14	92.9%	★★★★★
2018	80.6	3 of 18	83.3%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	65.4	21 of 56	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	19.2	38 of 45	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	49.3	82 of 194	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	92.1	8 of 198	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	77.7	24 of 182	86.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.3	21 of 169	87.6%	★★★★☆
2021	68.4	44 of 196	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	56.9	56 of 171	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	89.1	14 of 160	91.3%	★★★★★
2017	63.5	18 of 83	78.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	80.8	52 of 325	84.0%	★★★★☆
2024	87.6	33 of 325	89.8%	★★★★★
2023	87.1	40 of 317	87.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.4	53 of 326	83.7%	★★★★☆
2021	81.0	52 of 319	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	89.7	28 of 313	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	92.8	23 of 300	92.3%	★★★★★
2017	85.1	29 of 230	87.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Male (2025)90th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)89th percentile~ school

African American (2025)86th percentile~ school

White (2025)84th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)83rd percentile-4 vs school

Female (2025)79th percentile-8 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)76th percentile-11 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)62nd percentile-29 vs school

Special Education (2025)58th percentile-29 vs school

Military Connected (2025)17th percentile-70 vs school

Native American (2023)16th percentile-74 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

Science45%+13 vs state

English40%+10 vs state

Mathematics36%+13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Helena High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)	Summative Assessment Science (2025)	Summative Assessment English (2025)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Helena High School	Public	9-12	1310 Hillsboro Parkway	Helena	35080	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-3650	1,383	79	17.6	26.4%	961 (69.5%)	228 (16.5%)	127 (9.2%)	24 (1.7%)	5 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	37 (2.7%)	85.5	49^th of 374 public high schools	86.9%		91	32^nd of 378 public high schools	91.5%	17	36.4	45.5	40.4	$8,579	$631	$7,932
Pelham High School	Public	9-12	2500 Panther Cir	Pelham	35124	Shelby County	Pelham City	No	No	No	No	(205) 624-3701	1,076	73	14.8	43.2%	469 (43.6%)	212 (19.7%)	320 (29.7%)	30 (2.8%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	40 (3.7%)	76	82^nd of 374 public high schools	78.1%		78.2	62^nd of 378 public high schools	83.6%	20	27.0	40.9	38.3	$11,406	$899	$10,506
Thompson High School	Public	9-12	1921 Warrior Parkway	Alabaster	35007	Shelby County	Alabaster City	No	No	No	No	(205) 685-6700	2,060	128	16.1	49.9%	992 (48.2%)	522 (25.3%)	471 (22.9%)	24 (1.2%)	12 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	37 (1.8%)	78.4	71^st of 374 public high schools	81.0%		80.2	56^th of 378 public high schools	85.2%	15	34.9	43.1	32.4	$12,268	$891	$11,363
Crossroads School	Public	6-12	1085 Buccaneer Drive	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-1800																			(n/a)
Hoover High School	Public	9-12	1000 Buccaneer Drive	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-1200	2,919	185	15.7	29.6%	1,469 (50.3%)	778 (26.7%)	316 (10.8%)	235 (8.1%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.1%)	115 (3.9%)	93	24^th of 374 public high schools	93.6%		97	13^th of 378 public high schools	96.6%	11	44.9	50.1	46.9	$11,758	$943	$10,814
Riverchase Career Connection Center	Public	10-12	853 Willow Oak Drive	Hoover	35244	Shelby County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-1900																			(n/a)
McAdory High School	Public	9-12	4800 McAdory School Rd	Mc Calla	35111	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	No	(205) 379-4700	1,259	70	18.1	52.7%	200 (15.9%)	797 (63.3%)	238 (18.9%)	6 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (1.4%)	13.1	340^th of 374 public high schools	9.1%		18.3	310^th of 378 public high schools	18.0%	30	4.1	11.6	5.1	$8,839	$665	$8,156
Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School	Public, Charter	9-12	114 2nd Avenue North	Bessemer	35020	Jefferson County	Alabama Aerospace and Aviation	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(205) 538-0702	161	8	20.1	61.5%	13 (8.1%)	126 (78.3%)	12 (7.5%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (5.6%)								(n/a)	13.2	28.3
Bessemer City High School	Public	9-12	4950 Premiere Parkway	Bessemer	35022	Jefferson County	Bessemer City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 432-3700	760	35	21.7	79.6%	7 (0.9%)	583 (76.7%)	166 (21.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	9	366^th of 374 public high schools	2.1%		16.8	318^th of 378 public high schools	15.9%	48	1.3	5.1	4.1	$9,771	$1,979	$7,776
Bessemer Center For Technology	Public	9-12	4940 Premiere Parkway	Bessemer	35022	Jefferson County	Bessemer City	No	No	No	No	(205) 432-3805																			(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Helena High School

What is the racial makeup of Helena High School?

Students at Helena High School are 69% White, 16% African American, 9% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Helena High School a good school?

Helena High School ranks 49^th of 374 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Helena High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,383 students attended Helena High School.

What district is Helena High School in?

Shelby County

What schools feed into Helena High School?

Helena High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Helena Elementary School
Elementary : Helena Intermediate School
Middle : Helena Middle

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

2016–17 through 2018–19 dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 7, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.