Summary:
Zip code 36275 in Spring Garden, Alabama, is served by a single school, Spring Garden High School, a PK-12 alternative school within the Cherokee County district, which enrolls 550 students in a rural setting.
As the only school in the area, Spring Garden High School presents a mixed picture for parents. The most encouraging statistic is its 97.4% graduation rate, which outpaces both the district (96.4%) and state (91.5%) averages. However, this success contrasts with several academic challenges. The school shows notable strengths in early math, with 3rd grade (51.35% proficient) and 6th grade (56.25%) scores exceeding state averages, and it posted impressive year-over-year gains in 11th grade math (from 5.13% to 27.03%). Yet, there is a consistent "4th grade cliff," where proficiency drops dramatically across all subjects—only 17.31% in math and 19.23% in English, far below state levels. Upper-grade science is also a concern, with 11th grade proficiency at just 16.22% compared to the state's 36.17%. English scores generally lag behind state averages in most grades, with the exception of 6th grade.
A significant red flag is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 22%—nearly double the state rate of 12%—and likely contributes to inconsistent performance. The school also serves a population where over half of students (50.18%) qualify for free or reduced lunch, adding context to these outcomes. Test scores show high volatility year-over-year, suggesting small class sizes where individual cohorts can skew results. While the school excels at graduating students, parents should be aware of the uneven academic proficiency across grade levels and subjects, particularly the 4th grade slump and weak science scores, and may want to investigate how the school supports attendance and addresses these specific academic gaps.
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