Summary:
Zip code 35772 in Stevenson, Alabama, is served by three public schools within the Jackson County district, offering a complete educational path from Pre-K through 12th grade for roughly 1,027 students in a rural area with significant economic need.
The standout performer is Stevenson Elementary School, which has improved dramatically over two years, jumping from the 49th to the 70th percentile in state rankings. Its 3rd graders achieve 70% math proficiency and 82% English proficiency, far exceeding both district and state averages. In contrast, Stevenson Middle School shows a troubling decline, with math proficiency falling from 48% in 5th grade to just 12% by 8th grade—a 58-point drop from the elementary school's early success. The middle school's ranking has slipped 19 percentile points over the same period, suggesting the elementary school's effective strategies are not carrying forward. North Jackson High School presents a paradox: its 11th grade test scores trail state averages (20% English proficiency vs. 34% statewide), yet it boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate, likely due to strong support services or credit recovery programs.
All three schools keep chronic absenteeism below district and state averages despite high free/reduced lunch rates (54-61%), a genuine bright spot. The high school also showed consistent year-over-year test score gains across all subjects. Notably, the struggling middle school receives the lowest per-student funding ($8,766) compared to the elementary ($9,622) and high school ($9,896), raising questions about resource allocation. For parents, the key takeaway is that early education here is excellent, but the middle school years represent a critical challenge that district leadership must address to maintain student achievement through graduation.
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