Summary:
Zip code 35550 is home to a single high school, Cordova High School, which serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 451 students in the Walker County school district.
For parents considering this area, Cordova High School presents a mixed picture. The school outperforms its district peers in every tested subject—for example, in 2025-2026, 20% of students were proficient in math versus 10.71% district-wide, and 36.08% were proficient in English versus 25.24% district-wide. However, the school experienced a significant academic decline between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, with math proficiency dropping from 30.49% to 20.00%, science from 39.02% to 31.00%, and English from 42.50% to 36.08%. Statewide rankings have been volatile, swinging from the 49th percentile (2 stars) in 2023-2024, to the 83rd percentile (4 stars) in 2024-2025, then back to the 58th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 22.0%—double the district rate of 11.0% and the state rate of 12.0%. The graduation rate of 84.3% also trails both the district (93.0%) and state (91.5%) averages. With 51.66% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school serves a population with significant economic need. While Cordova outperforms its district academically, the high absenteeism and below-benchmark graduation rates suggest students face real barriers. The school's ability to exceed district performance despite these challenges indicates potential, but the recent test score declines and attendance issues point to a need for targeted support and intervention.
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