Summary:
Zip code 36312 is home to just one high school, Ashford High School, a small rural school in Ashford, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 413 students.
Ashford High School is part of the highly regarded Houston County district, which ranks in the top 20% of Alabama districts. The school itself has a strong graduation rate of 94.5%, exceeding both district and state averages, which is a clear bright spot for parents. However, academic proficiency on 11th-grade assessments is mixed. In the most recent year, English proficiency jumped significantly to 31.58%, nearly matching the state average, while math (26.32%) and science (29.47%) lag behind district and state benchmarks. The school’s overall state ranking has slipped from 128th to 157th over the past two years, suggesting it is not keeping pace with its high-performing district peers.
The most pressing concern for parents is the school’s chronic absenteeism rate of 17.3%, which is more than three times the district average of 5.3% and well above the state average of 12.0%. This high rate of missing school likely contributes to the below-average test scores and the school’s declining ranking. With 60.5% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income population, which can present additional challenges. While math proficiency has shown modest year-over-year growth, it remains the weakest subject. Overall, Ashford High School offers a supportive path to graduation, but families should be aware of the attendance challenges and inconsistent academic performance that may require extra attention and support.
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