Summary:
Zip code 36726 is home to exactly one high school, Wilcox Central High School, which serves grades 9-12 in Camden, Alabama, within the Wilcox County district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Wilcox Central High School serves a student body where nearly 90% qualify for free or reduced lunch, and academic proficiency rates are critically low. In the most recent testing year, only 4.62% of 11th graders were proficient in math, 3.08% in science, and 3.08% in English—all dramatically below state averages by 22 to 33 percentage points. These scores also represent a sharp decline from the prior year, particularly in science, which fell from 8.86% to 3.08% proficiency. The school has ranked in the bottom 10% of Alabama high schools for three consecutive years, currently sitting at the 2nd percentile statewide.
Despite these academic challenges, there are some notable positives. Chronic absenteeism is just 7.8%, which is significantly better than both the district (14.9%) and state (12.0%) averages, indicating students are consistently attending school. The graduation rate of 85.8%, while below the state's 91.5%, shows that most students do complete their high school journey. The school maintains a student-teacher ratio of 16.1:1 and spends approximately $11,539 per student. Since this is the only high school in the zip code and its metrics mirror the district exactly, any improvements or interventions at the district level will directly impact this school. Parents should be aware that while attendance is strong and most students graduate, the extremely low proficiency rates in core subjects suggest significant gaps in academic preparation that families may need to address through supplemental support.
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