Alabama
Alabama's public school system serves roughly 730,000 students across a mix of urban, suburban, and deeply rural communities. The state has made measurable gains in early literacy through its Alabama Literacy Act, which requires third graders to demonstrate reading proficiency before advancing — a policy credited with driving up elementary reading scores. Funding remains a central tension: Alabama relies heavily on the Education Trust Fund, and per-pupil spending varies dramatically between wealthy suburban districts near Huntsville and Birmingham and rural Black Belt counties where property tax bases are thin. The state assessment program, the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), measures student outcomes annually, and the State Department of Education publishes a robust school report card system to help families compare schools.
| District | Schools | Students | Per-Pupil | Grad Rate | Free Lunch | Opp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Districts — 10,000+ Students | ||||||
| Mobile County | 92 | 52K | $13,185↓9% | 86.7%↓5% | 69.5%↑8% | 37 |
| Jefferson County | 57 | 36K | $13,148↓9% | 93.4% | 64.1% | 41 |
| Baldwin County | 43 | 31K | $14,037 | 90.8% | 54.9%↓14% | 39 |
| Montgomery County | 52 | 27K | $12,933↓11% | 86.5%↓5% | 73.2%↑14% | 32 |
| Huntsville City | 45 | 24K | $13,040↓10% | 91.3% | 51.4%↓20% | 32 |
| Shelby County | 31 | 21K | $12,606↓13% | 94.0% | 41.0%↓36% | 39 |
| Birmingham City | 48 | 21K | $15,867↑9% | 83.2%↓9% | 82.4%↑29% | 33 |
| Madison County | 30 | 21K | $11,512↓21% | 96.5%↑6% | 42.3%↓34% | 35 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 36 | 19K | $12,636↓13% | 89.2% | 62.9% | 37 |
| Limestone County | 17 | 16K | $8,557↓41% | 86.8%↓5% | 59.7%↓7% | 38 |
| Hoover City | 18 | 14K | $15,357↑6% | 94.4% | 31.1%↓51% | 48 |
| Madison City | 11 | 12K | $14,105 | 97.0%↑6% | 23.3%↓64% | 36 |
| Elmore County | 16 | 11K | $13,523↓7% | 90.3% | 61.1% | 36 |
| Tuscaloosa City | 20 | 11K | $14,403 | 90.6% | 58.5%↓9% | 32 |
| Medium Districts — 1,000–9,999 Students | ||||||
| Cullman County | 27 | 9,846 | $13,781↓5% | 96.3%↑5% | 64.9% | 39 |
| St Clair County | 20 | 9,747 | $11,167↓23% | 92.6% | 56.9%↓11% | 38 |
| Auburn City | 13 | 9,492 | $14,643 | 95.0% | 31.7%↓50% | 29 |
| Lee County | 14 | 9,312 | $12,877↓11% | 89.0% | 62.4% | 36 |
| Autauga County | 15 | 9,202 | $11,436↓21% | 89.1% | 56.2%↓12% | 36 |
| Decatur City | 20 | 8,745 | $15,570↑7% | 93.0% | 72.9%↑14% | 41 |
| DeKalb County | 15 | 8,717 | $12,957↓11% | 91.9% | 69.1%↑8% | 40 |
| Etowah County | 24 | 8,702 | $12,538↓14% | 96.1%↑5% | 61.0% | 38 |
| Calhoun County | 19 | 8,050 | $12,723↓12% | 94.4% | 66.7% | 39 |
| Dothan City | 18 | 8,021 | $14,925 | 89.0% | 75.6%↑18% | 34 |
| Chilton County | 14 | 7,858 | $11,616↓20% | 87.1% | 73.3%↑14% | 43 |
| Blount County | 17 | 7,798 | $12,601↓13% | 93.8% | 59.1%↓8% | 41 |
| Morgan County | 19 | 7,691 | $14,031 | 93.1% | 59.0%↓8% | 41 |
| Phenix City | 12 | 7,218 | $13,713↓5% | 97.0%↑6% | 77.2%↑21% | 36 |
| Talladega County | 18 | 7,204 | $13,083↓10% | 93.8% | 72.3%↑13% | 37 |
| Walker County | 18 | 7,188 | $13,534↓7% | 94.9% | 67.2%↑5% | 39 |
| Vestavia Hills City | 9 | 7,069 | $15,310↑6% | 95.0% | 10.6%↓83% | 55 |
| Houston County | 15 | 6,883 | $11,627↓20% | 96.6%↑6% | 60.7%↓5% | 39 |
| Enterprise City | 10 | 6,651 | $12,261↓16% | 94.0% | 50.0%↓22% | 42 |
| Alabaster City | 5 | 6,425 | $14,916 | 97.0%↑6% | 50.0%↓22% | 44 |
| Eufaula City | 6 | 6,289 | $9,462↓35% | 85.3%↓7% | 66.2% | 36 |
| Marshall County | 15 | 5,951 | $14,887 | 91.9% | 56.2%↓12% | 39 |
| Albertville City | 6 | 5,900 | $11,037↓24% | 94.0% | 77.3%↑21% | 38 |
| Jackson County | 18 | 5,200 | $15,847↑9% | 92.5% | 63.6% | 39 |
| Trussville City | 5 | 5,065 | $13,016↓10% | 98.0%↑7% | 16.1%↓75% | — |
| Opelika City | 9 | 5,048 | $13,791 | 90.0% | 69.4%↑8% | 39 |
| Lauderdale County | 10 | 5,045 | $12,691↓13% | 92.2% | 55.8%↓13% | 41 |
| Gadsden City | 15 | 4,939 | $14,820 | 90.0% | 78.7%↑23% | 36 |
| Athens City | 8 | 4,840 | $15,353↑6% | 89.6% | 51.1%↓20% | — |
| Lawrence County | 14 | 4,698 | $14,209 | 91.7% | 64.6% | 40 |
| Florence City | 9 | 4,489 | $14,934 | 95.0% | 53.7%↓16% | 38 |
| Mountain Brook City | 6 | 4,409 | $26,427↑82% | 98.0%↑7% | 2.6%↓96% | 40 |
| Homewood City | 5 | 4,371 | $15,381↑6% | 96.0% | 25.5%↓60% | 42 |
| Escambia County | 12 | 4,208 | $13,846 | 89.2% | 71.3%↑11% | 41 |
| Oxford City | 7 | 4,203 | $15,207 | 96.0% | 63.8% | 37 |
| Pell City | 8 | 4,157 | $13,024↓10% | 92.0% | 61.7% | 41 |