Demopolis, Marengo schools earn a B on state school report card while other area systems bring home a C

The state report cards for public schools are in, and it’s a mixed bag for schools in the Black Belt News Network coverage area. 

The Alabama State Accountability Report Card, which is posted to the Alabama State Department of Education website every November, gives the state’s 153 school systems an overall grade and numerical scores in the areas of academic achievement; student improvement in reading, English and math; career or college readiness; graduation rate; and the percentage of students who miss 18 or more days of school (chronic absenteeism). 

Marengo County Schools and Demopolis City Schools earned a B, and school systems in Linden, Selma and Dallas, Wilcox, Perry, Sumter and Lowndes counties earned a grade of C. 

Of the area’s 44 schools, eight earned a B, 20 earned a C, 14 earned a D, and two schools, Robert C. Hatch High School in Perry County and Linden High School, earned an F. 

Here’s how area school systems and individual schools performed on the Alabama State Accountability Report Card. The systems are listed in alphabetical order. 

Demopolis City Schools 

1,799 students

Systemwide Score 

Grade B with a score of 88, 2 points higher than 2024 

Academic Achievement 69.51 

Academic Growth 95.4 

Graduation Rate 89 

Chronic Absenteeism 10.4 

College and Career Readiness 93.3 

Demopolis High School 

Grade C with a score of 79, 1 point higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 44.8

Academic Growth 84.1

Graduation Rate 89

Chronic Absenteeism 12.5

College and Career Readiness 93.3  

Demopolis Middle School

Grade B with a score of 87, 2 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 72.2

Academic Growth 100

Graduation Rate 89  

US Jones Elementary School

Grade B with a score of 86, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 75.5

Academic Growth 93.6

Westside Elementary School

Grade B with a score of 86, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 75.5

Academic Growth 93.6  

Dallas County Schools

2,211 students 

Grade C with a score of 77, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 42.7

Academic Growth 84.9

Graduation Rate 89 

Chronic Absenteeism 17.3

College and Career Readiness 81.9 

Brantley Elementary School

Grade C with a score of 74, 7 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 44.9 

Academic Growth 93

Bruce K. Craig Elementary School

Grade D with a score of 66, 10 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 42.7 

Academic Growth 76.8

Dallas County High School

Grade C with a score of 78, same as 2024

Academic Achievement 34.8 

Academic Growth 92.3 

Graduation Rate 87 

Chronic Absenteeism 21.6

College and Career Readiness 89.1

JE Terry Elementary School

Grade of C with a score of 75, 10 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 54.9 

Academic Growth 87.5 

Keith Middle School

Grade of C with a score of 79, 3 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 31.7

Academic Growth 89.5

Salem Elementary School

Grade of C with score of 75, 1 point lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 60

Academic Growth 86.8

Southside High School

Grade of D with a score of 64, 5 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 14

Academic Growth 79.1

Graduation Rate 78.3

Chronic Absenteeism 22.9

College and Career Readiness 65

Southside Primary 

Grade of D with a score of 66, 3 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 42.7

Academic Growth 76.8

Tipton Durant Middle School

Grade of D with a score of 61, 7 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 31.2

Academic Growth 83.8

Valley Grande Elementary School

Grade of C with a score of 78, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 56

Academic Growth 96.5

William R Martin Middle School

Grade of D with a score of 69, 8 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 48.4

Academic Growth 88

Linden City Schools

380 students

Grade of D with a score of 68, 8 points lower than 2024

George P Austin Junior High School, 4 points higher than 2024

Grade of C with a score of 75

Academic Achievement 44.5

Academic Growth 98.9

Linden Elementary School

Grade of B with a score of 81, 2 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 62.5

Academic Growth 96.3

Linden High School

Grade of F with a score of 46, 19 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 15.6

Academic Growth 73.4

Chronic Absenteeism 20.7

No scores shown for graduation rate or career readiness 

Lowndes County Schools 

1,081 students 

Grade of C with a score of 77, same as 2024

Academic Achievement 44.2

Academic Growth 90.7

GR 83.3

Calhoun High School 

Grade of D with a score of 69, 4 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 18.3

Academic Growth 76.9

Graduation Rate 86.4

Chronic Absenteeism 21.8

College and Career Readiness 81.8

Central Elementary School

Grade of D with a score of 68, 6 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 40.6

Academic Growth AG 89.3

Central High School

Grade of D with a score of 65, 5 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 20.3

Academic Growth 72.2

Graduation Rate 80.4

Chronic Absenteeism 24.9

College and Career Readiness 73.9

Fort Deposit Elementary School

Grade of B with a score of 83, 6 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 59.3

Academic Growth 100

Haynesville Middle School

Grade of D with a score of 66, 8 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 42.6

Academic Growth 83.9

Jackson-Steele Elementary School

Grade of B with a score of 82, same as 2024

Academic Achievement 67.3

Academic Growth 92.7  

Lowndes County Middle School

Grade of C with a score of 75, 8 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 47.7

Academic Growth 100  

Marengo County Schools

922 students

Grade of B with a score of 85, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 61.6

Academic Growth 86

Graduation Rate 94.8

Chronic Absenteeism 7.7

College and Career Readiness 87.9

Amelia L. Johnson High School

Grade of C with a score of 71, 8 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 50.8

Academic Growth 91.9

Chronic Absenteeism 10.2

Marengo High School

Grade of D with a score of 63, 23 points less than 2024

Academic Achievement 47.6

Academic Growth 64.5  

Chronic Absenteeism 2.6

No scores listed for graduation rate or career readiness

Sweet Water High School

A grade of B with a score of 87, 1 point less than 2024

Academic Acievement 70

Academic Growth 93.1

Graduation Rate 90

Chronic Absenteeism 8.9

College and Career Readiness 90

Perry County Schools 

778 Students 

Grade of C with a score of 76, 7 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 37.5

Academic Growth 83.6

Graduation Rate 93.8

Chronic Absenteeism 31.3

College and Career Readiness 89.1

Francis Marion School

Grade of C with a score of 79, 11 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 37.9

Academic Growth 89.5

Graduation Rate 95.8

Chronic Absenteeism 33.6

College and Career Readiness 89.6

Robert C Hatch High School

A grade of F with a score of 56, 14 points less than 2024

Academic Achievement 37

Academic Growth 77.4

Chronic Absenteeism 28.7

No scores shown for Graduation Rate or Career Readiness

Selma City Schools

2,124 students 

Systemwide Score 

Grade C with a 79 score, 3 points higher than 2024 

Academic Achievement 45.7 

Academic Growth 90.9 

Graduation Rate 84.9 

Chronic Absenteeism 12.8 

College and Career Readiness 80.7 

Clark Elementary School 

Grade C with a score of 78. Last year the school earned a D with a score of 66 and the year before that an F with a score of 47. 

Academic Achievement 51 

Academic Growth 96.7 

Edgewood Elementary School 

Grade C with a score of 75, 5 points higher than 2024 

Academic Achievement 46.4 

Academic Growth 96.7 

Meadowview Elementary School 

Grade B with a score of 80, 1 point lower than 2024 

Academic Achievement 62.7

Academic Growth 91.3 

Payne Elementary School 

Grade C with a score of 76, 1 point lower than 2024 

Academic Achievement 51.9 

Academic Growth 91

Selma High School 

Grade C with a score of 73, 3 points higher than 2024 

Academic Achievement 27.6 

Academic Growth 82.5 

Graduation Rate 86.7

Chronic Absenteeism 19.5 

College and Career Readiness 87.9

Sophia Kingston Elementary School

A grade of C with a score of 74, 4 points lower than 2024

Academic Excellence 51.8

Academic Growth 87

R.B. Hudson STEAM Academy

A grade of C with a score of 70, 1 point higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 41.9

Academic Growth 89.4

Sumter County Schools 

851 students

A grade of C with a score of 70, 4 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 38.2

Academic Growth 85.1

Graduation Rate 72.2

Chronic Absenteeism 27.8

College and Career Readiness 74.7

Livingston Junior High School

Grade of C with a score of 75, 4 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 51.7

Academic Growth 95.7

Sumter Central High School

Grade of D 67 with a score of 67, 11 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 32.9

Academic Growth 72.2 

Chronic Absenteeism 28.5

College and Career Readiness 74.7

York West End Junior High School

Grade of C with a score of 71, 2 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 42.6

Academic Growth 96.8 

Wilcox County Schools 

1,127 students

Grade of C with a score of 76, 3 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 40.6

Academic Growth 82.5

Graduation Rate 85.9

Chronic Absenteeism 15

College and Career Readiness 83.7

ABC Elementary School

Grade of C with a score of 71, 3 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 44.6

Academic Growth 85.1 

Camden School of Arts and Technology

Grade of D with a score of 66, same as 2024

Academic Achievement 41.6

Academic Growth 81.7

FS Ervin Elementary School

Grade of C with a score of 74, 2 points lower than 2024

Academic Achievement 51

Academic Growth 93.5

J E Hobbs Elementary School

Grade of D with a score of 67, 3 points less than 2024

Academic Achievement 44.1

Academic Growth 84.3

Wilcox Central High School

Grade of D with a score of 67, 10 points higher than 2024

Academic Achievement 18.3

Academic Growth 67.3 

GR 85.9

Chronic Absenteeism 7.8

College and Career Readiness 83.7

For comparison purposes, the state of Alabama collectively earned a B with a score of 87, two points higher than its 2023 score. The academic achievement score was 67, academic growth was 97.1, graduation rate was 91.6, chronic absence was 12.1 and college or career readiness was 87.9 All categories improved compared to the 2023-3034 scores. In all 717,473 students attend the state’s public schools.  

All the scores can be found here.