Pelham High School

Summary:

Pelham High School is a public high school serving around 1,080 students in grades 9-12 in Pelham, Alabama, which is part of the Shelby County school district. The school consistently performs above the state average academically, with particular strengths in the performance of its diverse student population.

Pelham High School stands out for its strong academic metrics, ranking 62nd out of 378 high schools in Alabama and earning a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. In the 2023-2024 school year, 11th-grade students scored 31.37% proficient or better in Math, 42.07% in Science, and 31.44% in English, significantly outpacing the state averages. The school also excels in supporting its African American students, ranking 11th out of 231 Alabama high schools for that subgroup. However, Pelham High School faces some challenges in maintaining its competitive edge compared to nearby high-performing schools like Spain Park High School and Vestavia Hills High School, which have higher proficiency rates and overall state rankings.

Another interesting finding is the growing economic diversity at Pelham High School, with the percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch increasing from 23.64% in 2020-2021 to 43.43% in 2022-2023. While the school performs well overall, it faces some disparities in the performance of certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and multi-racial students, which have lower rankings and star ratings from SchoolDigger. Continued investment in resources and targeted support for underperforming subgroups could help Pelham High School further enhance its academic excellence.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 2500 Panther Cir
       Pelham, AL  35124-1670


(205) 624-3701

District: Pelham City

SchoolDigger Rank:
62nd of 378 Alabama High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,406 Help


Feeder schools for Pelham High School:

Elementary:    Pelham Oaks
    Pelham Ridge
Middle:    Pelham Park Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  1,080

Racial breakdown:

White:
45.8%
Hispanic:
28.6%
African American:
17.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  43.4% Help


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 Compare Pelham High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Pelham High School ranks better than 83.6% of high schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.19. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Pelham High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Pelham High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (45.8%), Hispanic (28.6%), African American (17.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 43.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Pelham High School is 16.4. (See more...)
Help
Compare Pelham High School employs 65.7 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Pelham High School is $11,406.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Pelham High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Pelham High School 62nd of 378 Alabama public high schools. (See Pelham High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Native American students:
White students:


Pelham City:

SchoolDigger ranks Pelham City 29th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Pelham High School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2016 77.11 53rd 351 84.9%
2017 82.10 49th 353 86.1%
2018 82.38 53rd 356 85.1%
2019 75.80 76th 366 79.2%
2021 79.42 58th 371 84.4%
2022 81.78 55th 367 85.0%
2023 85.69 49th 371 86.8%
2024 78.19 62nd 378 83.6%
See the entire list of Alabama High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 22.00 28th 37 24.3%
2021 19.61 33rd 43 23.3%
2022 31.43 31st 40 22.5%
2023 44.27 24th 45 46.7%
2024 23.36 41st 56 26.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.47 16th 22 27.3%
2019 30.79 20th 29 31.0%
2021 46.02 8th 28 71.4%
2022 45.88 15th 39 61.5%
2023 48.25 18th 43 58.1%
2024 50.17 20th 63 68.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.08 115th 160 28.1%
2019 45.24 80th 171 53.2%
2021 74.43 32nd 196 83.7%
2022 85.75 12th 169 92.9%
2023 50.26 73rd 182 59.9%
2024 63.40 51st 198 74.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 68.17 63rd 315 80.0%
2018 50.91 174th 349 50.1%
2019 36.95 228th 358 36.3%
2021 70.84 73rd 361 79.8%
2022 46.39 176th 361 51.2%
2023 67.08 94th 349 73.1%
2024 65.50 101st 375 73.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 86.13 34th 343 90.1%
2018 84.62 48th 347 86.2%
2019 68.52 105th 354 70.3%
2021 70.28 84th 359 76.6%
2022 78.28 60th 367 83.7%
2023 79.53 61st 358 83.0%
2024 87.08 41st 366 88.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 72.41 71st 339 79.1%
2018 76.12 68th 350 80.6%
2019 79.03 59th 357 83.5%
2021 84.04 46th 366 87.4%
2022 81.65 54th 366 85.2%
2023 85.94 45th 358 87.4%
2024 60.87 124th 368 66.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 75.84 25th 189 86.8%
2018 85.84 20th 223 91.0%
2019 88.90 16th 224 92.9%
2021 97.00 6th 228 97.4%
2022 75.08 37th 222 83.3%
2023 61.91 53rd 224 76.3%
2024 93.65 11th 231 95.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 59.80 30th 93 67.7%
2018 48.98 45th 95 52.6%
2019 29.56 69th 103 33.0%
2021 59.57 33rd 113 70.8%
2022 57.26 41st 114 64.0%
2023 65.39 34th 122 72.1%
2024 41.39 71st 139 48.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 22.71 25th 35 28.6%
2021 45.50 19th 40 52.5%
2022 33.96 26th 40 35.0%
2023 61.73 17th 45 62.2%
2024 56.09 22nd 55 60.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Pelham High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 81.57 36th 230 84.3%
2018 90.64 29th 300 90.3%
2019 84.20 41st 313 86.9%
2021 81.96 49th 319 84.6%
2022 92.81 21st 326 93.6%
2023 90.89 29th 317 90.9%
2024 79.96 52nd 325 84.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Pelham High School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 



Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

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0%

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No reviews have been submitted!


Enrollment information for Pelham High School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2015 560 133 29 214 2 0 2 0 940
2016 519 131 30 231 3 0 6 0 920
2017 544 131 26 249 1 0 13 0 964
2018 508 127 27 252 1 0 30 0 945
2019 527 131 25 303 2 0 28 0 1016
2020 493 150 23 305 2 0 42 0 1015
2021 502 159 28 321 2 0 54 0 1066
2022 527 192 34 338 2 1 47 0 1141
2023 495 192 30 309 2 2 50 0 1080

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Pelham High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2015 940 56.0 16.7 32.9
2016 920 55.0 16.7 35.7
2017 964 60.0 16.0 29.8
2018 945 60.5 15.6 29.4
2019 1016 59.8 16.9 31.9
2020 1015 60.5 16.7 32.4
2021 1066 63.1 16.8 23.6
2022 1141 65.2 17.4 20.3
2023 1080 65.7 16.4 43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Pelham High School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2015 940 56.0 16.7 32.9
2016 920 55.0 16.7 35.7
2017 964 60.0 16.0 29.8
2018 945 60.5 15.6 29.4
2019 1016 59.8 16.9 31.9
2020 1015 60.5 16.7 32.4
2021 1066 63.1 16.8 23.6
2022 1141 65.2 17.4 20.3
2023 1080 65.7 16.4 43.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Pelham High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $899 (7.9%) $10,506 (92.1%) $11,406

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Pelham High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 76th of 366 High schoolsRanks 49th of 371 High schools
 7.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Mathematics (Pelham High School)52.131.9
 20.2%
   End of Course Mathematics (Pelham City)52.131.9
 20.2%
   End of Course Mathematics (Alabama)42.523.6
 19%
End of Course Science (Pelham High School)48.439.5
 8.9%
   End of Course Science (Pelham City)48.439.5
 8.9%
   End of Course Science (Alabama)42.631.7
 10.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students10161080
 6.3%
African American131192
 46.6%
American Indian22
Asian2530
 20%
Hispanic303309
 2%
Pacific Islander02
White527495
 6.1%
Two or More Races2850
 78.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients31.9%43.4%
 11.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Pelham High School

Pelham High School ranks 62nd of 378 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Students at Pelham High School are 46% White, 29% Hispanic, 18% African American, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

Pelham High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Pelham Oaks
Elementary : Pelham Ridge
Middle : Pelham Park Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,080 students attended Pelham High School.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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