Summary:
Zip code 36047 is home to just one high school, Calhoun High School, a small rural school in Letohatchee, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 within the Lowndes County district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Calhoun High School faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates in the single digits across all core subjects. In the most recent school year, only 2.56% of 11th graders were 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. The school consistently ranks in the bottom 5% of Alabama high schools, currently sitting at the 3rd percentile. A high poverty rate (88.71% of students qualify for free/reduced lunch) and chronic absenteeism at 21.7% (nearly double the state rate of 12.0%) are likely contributing factors. On a more positive note, the school maintains a reasonable student-teacher ratio of 15.5:1 and spends a competitive $14,855 per student, suggesting resources are available even if outcomes lag.
There is a silver lining in the graduation rate: 86.3% of students graduate, which is above the district average of 83.3% and within five points of the state average of 91.5%. This indicates the school is successful at keeping students enrolled through completion, even if academic mastery is low. However, test scores show significant year-to-year volatility—math proficiency dropped to 0% in one recent year before recovering—which makes it difficult to gauge true progress. The school has shown slight improvement in its ranking, moving from the 2nd percentile to the 3rd percentile over two years. For parents, this is a school where strong community support and graduation outcomes exist, but where academic proficiency remains a serious concern that would require targeted intervention and close monitoring of student progress.
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