Enrollment
Alabama Still Enrolls More Kindergartners Than Seniors, but the Margin Is Narrower
Alabama's 2025-26 kindergarten class remains larger than grade 12 statewide, while district entry-exit balances point in different directions.
Alabama Education News & Data
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Equity
Alabama's Black-White Absence Gap Was 5.3 Times Its 2019 Size
Alabama's Black-White chronic-absence gap grew from 0.63 point in 2019 to 3.31 points in 2025, after peaking at 6.55 points in 2022.
Achievement Gap
Alabama's White-Black Graduation Gap Ended Near Where It Began
Alabama's White-Black graduation-rate gap was 4.1 points in 2015 and 4.2 points in 2025, although annual gaps ranged from 3.0 to 4.7 points.
Demographics
English Learners Had Alabama's Second-Lowest Chronic Absence Rate in 2025
English learners had Alabama's second-lowest reported subgroup chronic absenteeism rate in 2025 at 8.38%, and their rate was below the statewide rate in all seven available years.
Equity
Alabama's Gender Graduation Gap Hit Its Narrowest Point in the Available Series
Alabama's male-female graduation gap narrowed to 3.1 points in 2025, the smallest in the available series, as the male rate reached 90%.
Absence
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.
Personnel
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.
Personnel
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.
District Spotlight
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.
Demographics
Hispanic Students: From the Series' Widest Gap to Near-Parity in Two Years
Alabama's white-Hispanic graduation gap moved from 0.9 points in 2016 to a series-high 6.1 points in 2023, then to 1.8 points in 2025.
Equity
Students Who Are Homeless Hit 86.3%: Their Highest Rate in Alabama's 2015 Through 2025 Data
The graduation rate for students who are currently homeless in Alabama reached 86.3% in 2025, the highest mark in the state's 2015 through 2025 series.
Enrollment
30 Alabama District-Level Entities Enroll Fewer Than 1,000 Students
Thirty of Alabama's 155 district-level entities enroll fewer than 1,000 students, but together they serve 2.6% of students.
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.
