Best High Schools in Zip Code 36617

Zip code 36617 in Mobile, Alabama is home to 2 high schools serving grades 6-12 with a combined enrollment of 841 students, both operating within the Mobile County school district, which ranks in the 33rd percentile statewide.

For parents evaluating options in this area, John L Leflore Magnet School is clearly the stronger choice. Despite its modest 16th percentile state ranking, Leflore graduates 81.5% of its students—dramatically outperforming the Continuous Learning Center, which graduates just 4.6% of its students. Leflore also shows encouraging momentum, improving its state ranking from the 7th to 16th percentile over two years, with math proficiency nearly doubling from 4.76% to 8.48%. While Leflore's test scores (8-18% proficiency) remain well below state averages, its 85.74% free/reduced lunch rate indicates it serves a highly disadvantaged population while still maintaining a functional graduation rate. The Continuous Learning Center, by contrast, shows zero math proficiency for two consecutive years and a 38.4% historical dropout rate, signaling systemic failure rather than a recent decline.

The most striking finding is the spending paradox: the Continuous Learning Center spends $56,017 per student—nearly 4.7 times more than Leflore's $11,922—yet produces catastrophic outcomes. This translates to roughly $12,177 per graduate at the Continuous Learning Center versus $14,628 at Leflore, meaning the alternative school wastes enormous resources with virtually no return. Interestingly, chronic absenteeism is actually lower at the Continuous Learning Center (15.6%) than at Leflore (22.8%), suggesting its problems stem from factors beyond attendance. For parents, Leflore represents the only viable path to graduation in this zip code, though both schools face significant challenges compared to district and state averages.