demographics
Hispanic Students: From the Widest Gap in Years to Near-Parity in Two
Alabama's white-Hispanic graduation gap swung from 0.9 points to 6.1 points and back to 1.8 points in a decade, extreme volatility with a good ending.
Alabama
Education News & Data
Local education reporting from every corner of Alabama, grounded in Alabama Department of Education data.
Alabama's Black Belt: Where Chronic Absenteeism Is Twice the State Average
Across Alabama's 20 Black Belt counties, chronic absenteeism averages 22.4%, nearly double the state rate, with only three of 20 districts recovering to pre-COVID levels.
Marketa George Brings a Relationship Focus to Faine
Dothan City Schools names Marketa George principal of Jerry Lee Faine Elementary, where she will lead a 285-student campus.
Aundria Sewell Steps Into Beverlye With a Culture-First Lens
Dothan City Schools names Aundria L. Sewell principal of Beverlye Intermediate, where she will lead a 335-student campus.
Conecuh County: From 74.6% to 92.0%, a Rural Turnaround Worth Studying
Conecuh County's graduation rate rose 17 points in a decade, from well below to above the state average. A rare rural turnaround story.
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equity
Students Who Are Homeless Hit 86.3%: Their Highest Rate in Alabama's 2015-2025 Data
The graduation rate for students who are currently homeless in Alabama reached 86.3% in 2025, the highest mark in the 2015-2025 state series.
enrollment
30 Alabama Districts Now Serve Fewer Than 1,000 Students
One in five Alabama districts now has fewer than 1,000 students, up from one in 25 a decade ago. Black Belt legacy systems are nearing viability limits.
district-spotlight
The Black Belt Split: Same Region, Opposite Trajectories
Alabama's Black Belt is splitting: Hale County's graduation rate rose 10 points while Sumter County's fell 17. A 27-point swing between neighbors.
school-choice
Half of Limestone County's Students Are Virtual
Alabama's three fastest-growing districts owe their growth to statewide virtual schools run by Pearson and Stride, not local enrollment gains.
special-populations
English Learners Made a 15-Point Leap in Two Years, the Fastest Improvement of Any Group
The graduation rate for Alabama students who are English learners rose from 67.9% to 83.3% in two years, the fastest gain of any subgroup and an all-time high.
enrollment
One in Three Alabama Districts at All-Time Enrollment Lows
Fifty-one Alabama districts hit record-low enrollment in 2025-26, including the four largest. The decline spans urban, rural, and suburban systems.
district-spotlight
Montgomery's 17-Point Crash Was the Biggest in the State. Two Years Later, It's Still Not Back.
Montgomery County's graduation rate crashed 17 points in 2023, the largest single-year district drop in Alabama. Two years later, it has recovered only partially.
special-populations
One in 14 Alabama Students Is Now an English Learner
Alabama's English learner population has nearly quadrupled since 2015, from 13,793 to 51,068 students, reshaping classrooms from the poultry corridor to Birmingham.
diploma-quality
Alabama's Hidden Revolution: The Diploma Quality Gap Collapsed in a Decade
Alabama's gap between graduation rate and college/career readiness collapsed from 49 points to 4 over a decade, one of the most dramatic diploma quality improvements in any state.
enrollment
Alabama Is 32,000 Students Below Its Pre-COVID Trajectory
If pre-pandemic trends had held, Alabama would have 746,099 students. Instead it has 714,363, and the gap widens every year.
