Summary:
Zip code 35549 is home to just one high school, Carbon Hill High School, a small rural school in Carbon Hill, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 with 349 students as part of the Walker County school district.
For parents considering this area, Carbon Hill High School offers a mixed but encouraging picture. The most impressive statistic is the graduation rate: 96.3% of students graduated in 2024-2025, well above both the district (93.0%) and state (91.5%) averages. This suggests the school is effective at keeping students on track to earn their diplomas, even when test scores lag. Academically, the school showed dramatic improvement in the 2025-2026 school year, jumping from the 23rd to the 38th percentile in state rankings. English proficiency is a clear strength, with 35.71% of 11th graders proficient—beating the state average of 33.73% and far exceeding the district's 25.24%. However, math and science remain significant challenges, with only 10.17% and 22.03% proficiency respectively, both well below state averages. The school also serves a high-poverty population, with 53.3% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, and has a student-teacher ratio of 17.4:1.
The biggest concern for families is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 25.0%—more than double the district rate of 11.0% and the state rate of 12.0%. This likely contributes to the lower math and science scores, as students missing school miss critical instruction. On a positive note, the year-over-year improvements in all subjects (math proficiency more than doubled, English proficiency more than tripled) indicate positive momentum and possible instructional changes that are working. With modest per-student spending of $10,394, the school is achieving strong graduation outcomes and improving academics, making it a viable option for families who value a supportive environment and are willing to work on attendance and math support at home.
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