Summary:
There are five schools serving grades 9–12 in zip code 27253, all part of Alamance-Burlington Schools, a district ranked in the bottom third of North Carolina districts. The schools range from a top-10 statewide high school to an alternative academy in the bottom 3%, reflecting a stark divide in academic outcomes within the same small area.
The clearest standout is ABSS Early College at ACC, ranked #6 out of 662 high schools with near-perfect test scores (100% proficient in Math I, 99.9% in English II) and the lowest poverty rate at 36% free/reduced lunch. Among traditional high schools, Southern Alamance High is the strongest, with a 90.5% graduation rate and mid-range proficiency scores, though it struggles with 43.6% chronic absenteeism. Graham High serves a nearly 100% free/reduced lunch population and ranks in the bottom 11%, with graduation rates and test scores well below state averages. Alamance Virtual School offers a mixed profile—its biology proficiency beats the district, but Math I proficiency is just 14.8%, and its graduation rate is the lowest among schools reporting one. Ray Street Academy, the smallest school with just 36 students, has the highest per-student spending ($33,251) and lowest student-teacher ratio (2.4), yet its Math I proficiency is 7.1% and chronic absenteeism is 74.7%—three times the state rate.
Overall, poverty closely tracks performance: the early college, with modest resources, excels economically and academically, while high-poverty Graham and Ray Street face severe challenges. Even the strongest schools exceed the state's 24.2% chronic absenteeism rate, and math proficiency lags badly across nearly all schools. Encouragingly, several schools posted large year-over-year gains in Math I and Biology, but most remain below state averages. For parents, the clear academic choice is ABSS Early College, while traditional options in this area demand attention to attendance and math support.
Thank you for your feedback!