Summary:
Zip code 36047 is home to a single public high school, Calhoun High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 within the Lowndes County school district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Calhoun High School faces significant academic challenges. The school is ranked in the bottom 3rd percentile of all Alabama high schools (370 out of 380). Test proficiency rates are extremely low, with only 2.56% of 11th graders proficient in math, 5.13% in science, and 5.13% in English, compared to state averages of 27.21%, 36.17%, and 33.73% respectively. This represents a performance gap of 25 to 31 percentage points below the state. The school also has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 21.7%, nearly double the state average of 12.0%, which likely contributes to the low academic outcomes. On a positive note, the graduation rate of 86.3% is higher than the district average of 83.3%, though it trails the state rate of 91.5%.
The student body at Calhoun High School is small, with 186 students and a student-teacher ratio of 15.5:1. A very high percentage of students (88.71%) are eligible for free or reduced lunch, indicating that the school serves a predominantly low-income population. Per-student spending is reported at $14,855, which is a substantial figure, yet it is not translating into better academic results. There is also notable year-over-year volatility in test scores, with English proficiency dropping from 10.2% to 5.13% and math rising from 0% to 2.56%, making it difficult to identify a clear trend. The combination of a respectable graduation rate alongside very low proficiency rates suggests that students may be graduating without fully meeting state academic standards, which is a critical concern for parents to investigate further.
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