Summary:
Zip code 31707 in Albany, Georgia, is home to just one high school, Westover High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 within the Dougherty County school district.
For parents considering Westover High School, the most striking feature is its exceptional graduation rate of 95.1%, which outpaces both the district (89.6%) and the state (87.2%). This is a significant achievement for a school where 88.49% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. However, academic proficiency tells a more challenging story. In the most recent testing cycle, proficiency rates in Algebra I (36.8%), Biology (28.2%), and U.S. History (25.6%) all fall well below state averages by 8 to 19 percentage points. The school does consistently outperform its district peers by 4 to 13 points in every subject, positioning it as a relative bright spot within Dougherty County, but it still trails statewide norms. A major concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 30.1%, which is nearly double the state average of 17.7% and notably higher than the district's 24.4%. This attendance gap may be a key factor behind the lower test scores, even as the school manages to get most students across the graduation finish line.
Looking at trends, Westover High School has seen its state ranking slip from the 44th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 30th percentile in 2025-2026, despite maintaining a 2-star rating. This decline suggests that while the school's own scores have remained relatively stable, other schools across Georgia are improving at a faster pace. U.S. History proficiency has remained flat at 25.6% for two consecutive years, indicating a plateau that may need new instructional approaches. With per-student spending at $14,488 and a student-to-teacher ratio of 17.6:1, the school has resources to work with, but the combination of high poverty, high absenteeism, and persistent achievement gaps points to a need for targeted interventions in attendance and core content mastery. English Language Arts results are not yet available for the current cycle, so no conclusions should be drawn about ELA performance until that data is released in December.
Thank you for your feedback!