Sumter Central High School

Sumter Central High School in York, AL, serves 526 students in grades 5 through 12 within the Sumter County district, and it faces significant socioeconomic challenges with 85-95% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Academically, Sumter Central is currently ranked in the 6th percentile statewide (359th out of 380 schools), which is a slight improvement from the 1st percentile in previous years but still places it well below state averages in nearly every subject and grade level. The most striking comparison is with University Charter School Secondary, located just 4.36 miles away. While Sumter Central's 11th grade English proficiency sits at 7.14%, University Charter achieves 44.9%. In 8th grade math, Sumter Central has a 0% proficiency rate compared to University Charter's 27.08%. The graduation rate gap is equally concerning—Sumter Central's most recent rate is 72.1%, down from a high of 92.5% just a few years ago, while University Charter boasts a 94.5% rate. Chronic absenteeism at Sumter Central (28.5%) is more than triple that of University Charter (8.8%) and more than double the state average.

Despite these challenges, there are notable bright spots. Sumter Central's Special Education students ranked in the 82nd percentile statewide in 2025-2026, earning a 4-star rating—a dramatic jump from the 11th percentile just two years prior. This suggests a highly effective program for this subgroup that deserves recognition. Additionally, the school's overall ranking has shown small but steady improvement over the last two years, moving from the 1st to the 6th percentile, which may indicate that recent interventions are beginning to have a modest effect. However, the severe academic emergency in mathematics—with proficiency rates ranging from 0% to 5.36% across all grade levels—remains a critical concern that will require sustained focus to address.