Summary:
Zip code 35582 is home to just one high school, Red Bay High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 in the small town of Red Bay, Alabama, with a total enrollment of 322 students.
For parents considering this area, Red Bay High School is a solid, above-average option within the Franklin County district. The school has consistently ranked in the top 30% of Alabama high schools, earning 4 stars in the most recent two years and peaking at 77th out of 374 schools in 2024-2025. Its graduation rate is excellent at 95.5%, outpacing both the district (91.0%) and state (91.5%). The school also shines in 8th-grade academics, with proficiency rates dramatically above state averages in Math (55.56% vs. 26.36%), Science (85.71% vs. 54.12%), and English (79.37% vs. 58.53%). With a favorable 15.3:1 student-teacher ratio and moderate poverty levels (38.82% free/reduced lunch), the school appears to allocate resources effectively, achieving strong results despite per-student spending of $8,435.
However, there are important challenges to note. Chronic absenteeism is a significant concern at 15.9%, well above the district (10.3%) and state (12.0%) averages, which is puzzling given the high graduation rate. Additionally, there is a clear pattern of declining performance in upper grades—11th-grade proficiency drops sharply compared to 8th grade across all subjects (e.g., Math falls from 55.56% to 28.89%, and English from 79.37% to 29.55%). The school also shows notable year-to-year volatility, likely due to small cohort sizes; for instance, 7th-grade Math plummeted from 48.48% to 18.00% in one year. While Red Bay High School is a standout within its district, parents should be aware of these attendance and upper-grade performance issues when evaluating the school.
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