Summary:
The 5 schools in zip code 35150 serve the Sylacauga, Alabama area, spanning Pre-K through 12th grade across two districts: Sylacauga City and Talladega County, with a total enrollment of roughly 2,466 students.
For parents, the standout story is the dramatic turnaround at BB Comer Memorial High School, which jumped from the 24th to the 62nd percentile in state rankings in a single year, driven by an 11th-grade math proficiency surge from 6% to 30%. Meanwhile, Sylacauga High School remains the consistent performer with the area's best English scores (42% proficient, well above the state average) and a strong 94.5% graduation rate, though its math and science scores lag. At the elementary level, BB Comer Memorial Elementary School is an English powerhouse, with 5th-grade proficiency at 84%, and it also posts the strongest 6th-grade math scores in the area. Nichols-Lawson Middle School has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate locally, but its math proficiency drops sharply from 6th to 7th grade, a pattern seen across both districts. Indian Valley Elementary School serves only PK-2, so it has no test scores, but its 22.7% chronic absenteeism rate is nearly double the state average and the highest in the area.
Key challenges include widespread chronic absenteeism—three of five schools exceed 19%—and a clear elementary-to-middle school math decline. However, English Language Arts is a consistent regional strength across all grade levels. Notably, BB Comer Memorial High School spends the most per student ($12,170) yet has the highest student-teacher ratio, while BB Comer Memorial Elementary School spends the least ($7,962) but outperforms in several subjects, suggesting spending alone doesn't drive results. Economic disadvantage is significant, with free/reduced lunch rates above 60% at most schools, though Sylacauga High School sits lower at 50%.
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