Bessemer City

The Bessemer City school district in Alabama consists of 7 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 1 high school, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. While the district faces significant challenges in improving student outcomes, a few schools stand out in the data.

Abrams Elementary School has the highest performance on state assessments, with 38.71% of 3rd graders proficient or better in English, compared to the Bessemer City average of 32.07%. Westhills Elementary School also excels, with 50% of 5th graders scoring proficient or better in English, well above the district average of 34.27%. However, across the Bessemer City schools, proficiency rates on state assessments are very low, well below the Alabama state averages, indicating systemic challenges that need to be addressed.

The Bessemer City schools serve high percentages of minority and economically disadvantaged students, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 60.71% at Bessemer City High School to 88.13% at Bessemer City Middle School. While spending per student and student-teacher ratios vary across the schools, these factors do not appear to be strongly correlated with academic performance, suggesting that additional interventions and support may be needed to address the socioeconomic challenges faced by the district.