Summary:
In zip code 36784, there is one public high school, Thomasville High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Thomasville City school district, enrolling 305 students in a small-town Alabama setting.
Thomasville High School posts a graduation rate of 91.3%, nearly matching the state average of 91.5%, which is reassuring for parents concerned about on-time completion. However, academic proficiency on 11th-grade assessments tells a more challenging story. In mathematics, only 17.74% of students are proficient versus 27.21% statewide; in science, 24.19% are proficient versus 36.17% statewide; and in English, 27.12% are proficient versus 33.73% statewide. The most concerning trend is a sharp 8.72-point drop in science proficiency from the prior year, while math also slipped slightly. English scores did improve by 3.07 points, offering a small bright spot. The school’s state ranking has been volatile, falling from the 57th percentile to the 38th percentile in one year, even though its district remains in the 68th percentile of Alabama districts.
Chronic absenteeism is a critical weakness, with 17.3% of students missing significant school days—44% higher than the state average of 12.0%. This likely contributes to the lower test scores. Additionally, 61.64% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a majority low-income population that may face extra hurdles. The student-teacher ratio of 20.4 to 1 is relatively high, which could limit individualized attention. For parents, the key takeaway is that while graduation rates are solid, the school struggles with academic mastery, especially in math and science, and absenteeism is a systemic issue that needs urgent attention. The sharp science decline and high absenteeism are the most pressing areas for intervention.
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