Decatur High School

Summary:

Decatur High School is a public high school in Decatur, Alabama, serving 1,040 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Decatur City school district, which is ranked 92 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Decatur High School faces several challenges, including below-average academic performance, with only 18.78% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in mathematics, compared to 20.21% for the Decatur City district and 23.12% for the state. The school's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with African American students performing better than Hispanic students. Additionally, Decatur High School has a high percentage of students from low-income backgrounds, with 67.31% receiving free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023.

While Decatur High School's performance is generally on par with or slightly better than its closest in-district peer, Austin High School, it lags behind higher-performing schools like Hartselle High School in the neighboring Hartselle City district. The school has also seen a gradual decline in the percentage of White students, from 41.74% in 2020-2021 to 36.63% in 2022-2023, while the percentage of Hispanic students has increased from 30.05% to 31.92% over the same period.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 910 Somerville Road
       Decatur, AL  35601-3290


(256) 552-3011

District: Decatur City

SchoolDigger Rank:
184th of 378 Alabama High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $12,970 Help


Feeder schools for Decatur High School:

Elementary:    BanksCaddell Elementary School
    Eastwood Elementary School
    Frances Nungester Elementary School
    Oak Park Elementary School
    More...
Middle:    Decatur Middle School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.9 Help
Number of students:  1,040

Racial breakdown:

White:
36.6%
Hispanic:
31.9%
African American:
25.7%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  67.3% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Decatur High School ranks better than 51.3% of high schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.55. (See more...)
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The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Decatur High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.
Help
The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Decatur High School has the largest high school student body size in the Decatur City School District. Student population at Decatur High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (36.6%), Hispanic (31.9%), African American (25.7%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 67.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Decatur High School is 16.9, which is the 2nd best among 2 high schools in the Decatur City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Decatur High School employs 61.5 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Decatur High School is $12,970, which is the highest among 4 high schools in the Decatur City School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Decatur High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Decatur High School 184th of 378 Alabama public high schools. (See Decatur High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


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


Decatur City:

SchoolDigger ranks Decatur City 92nd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Decatur High School?

Rank History for Decatur High School

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Rank History for all students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 65.42 110th 357 69.2%
2005 66.15 104th 359 71.0%
2006 62.77 123rd 357 65.5%
2007 35.87 272nd 358 24.0%
2008 66.12 101st 359 71.9%
2009 46.19 222nd 357 37.8%
2010 48.17 208th 358 41.9%
2011 56.31 170th 360 52.8%
2012 67.64 100th 358 72.1%
2013 62.41 112th 358 68.7%
2014 58.71 141st 358 60.6%
2015 60.58 114th 353 67.7%
2016 58.22 132nd 351 62.4%
2017 60.08 114th 353 67.7%
2018 49.24 178th 356 50.0%
2019 49.20 196th 366 46.4%
2021 66.46 97th 371 73.9%
2022 78.44 64th 367 82.6%
2023 71.29 85th 371 77.1%
2024 47.55 184th 378 51.3%
See the entire list of Alabama High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 63.71 15th 45 66.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Decatur 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 20.52 26th 29 10.3%
2021 35.85 17th 28 39.3%
2022 64.06 7th 39 82.1%
2023 28.08 23rd 43 46.5%
2024 26.32 48th 63 23.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 42.65 45th 83 45.8%
2018 69.62 34th 160 78.8%
2019 19.10 151st 171 11.7%
2021 13.82 173rd 196 11.7%
2022 37.37 100th 169 40.8%
2023 50.66 71st 182 61.0%
2024 23.98 166th 198 16.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Special Education Students!

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

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 32.43 208th 315 34.0%
2018 27.78 256th 349 26.6%
2019 24.05 280th 358 21.8%
2021 43.51 190th 361 47.4%
2022 71.60 66th 361 81.7%
2023 33.44 222nd 349 36.4%
2024 29.42 270th 375 28.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 61.42 108th 343 68.5%
2018 39.01 220th 347 36.6%
2019 35.19 235th 354 33.6%
2021 66.95 96th 359 73.3%
2022 82.23 51st 367 86.1%
2023 74.04 82nd 358 77.1%
2024 46.38 180th 366 50.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 55.73 127th 339 62.5%
2018 57.76 151st 350 56.9%
2019 62.45 130th 357 63.6%
2021 62.60 110th 366 69.9%
2022 69.59 89th 366 75.7%
2023 60.77 108th 358 69.8%
2024 47.03 177th 368 51.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 43.58 96th 189 49.2%
2018 39.57 128th 223 42.6%
2019 35.49 142nd 224 36.6%
2021 45.38 100th 228 56.1%
2022 71.26 39th 222 82.4%
2023 36.42 134th 224 40.2%
2024 47.17 94th 231 59.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 20.30 73rd 93 21.5%
2018 16.30 82nd 95 13.7%
2019 20.33 88th 103 14.6%
2021 27.25 87th 113 23.0%
2022 50.99 47th 114 58.8%
2023 37.45 68th 122 44.3%
2024 21.18 115th 139 17.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Decatur High School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 80.29 41st 230 82.2%
2018 75.61 55th 300 81.7%
2019 44.22 166th 313 47.0%
2021 66.26 81st 319 74.6%
2022 75.44 65th 326 80.1%
2023 69.63 87th 317 72.6%
2024 40.45 178th 325 45.2%
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.

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



Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Decatur High School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1075 1075
1989 823 282 9 0 1 n/a n/a 0 1115
1990 732 274 7 0 2 n/a n/a 0 1015
1991 719 260 3 3 3 n/a n/a 0 988
1992 700 264 2 5 3 n/a n/a 0 974
1993 776 307 5 10 2 n/a n/a 0 1100
1994 793 328 4 8 3 n/a n/a 0 1136
1995 802 296 9 16 6 n/a n/a 0 1129
1996 802 296 9 16 6 n/a n/a 0 1129
1997 791 303 11 23 3 n/a n/a 0 1131
1998 766 289 11 30 5 n/a n/a 0 1101
1999 764 294 13 36 3 n/a n/a 0 1110
2000 739 278 8 43 2 n/a n/a 0 1070
2001 734 293 7 68 2 n/a n/a 0 1104
2002 691 277 8 97 1 n/a n/a 0 1074
2003 691 277 8 97 1 n/a n/a 0 1074
2004 629 288 8 98 3 n/a n/a 0 1026
2005 598 302 7 74 2 n/a n/a 0 983
2006 621 336 5 95 1 n/a n/a 2 1060
2007 604 329 10 115 3 n/a n/a 2 1063
2008 607 329 12 118 7 n/a n/a 0 1073
2009 595 360 11 120 7 n/a n/a 0 1093
2010 557 361 8 117 5 n/a n/a 1 1049
2012 556 367 7 121 6 1 6 0 1064
2013 506 296 9 135 3 1 8 0 958
2014 486 298 13 141 7 2 9 0 956
2015 468 303 10 168 4 1 9 0 963
2016 459 302 13 182 10 2 10 0 978
2017 467 313 8 223 8 1 15 0 1035
2018 448 301 9 250 6 2 20 0 1036
2019 463 267 7 271 4 2 19 0 1033
2020 430 259 5 288 3 2 24 0 1011
2021 432 262 6 311 1 2 21 0 1035
2022 399 248 9 310 3 3 25 0 997
2023 381 267 10 332 3 2 45 0 1040

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 Decatur High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1075 60.3 17.8 0
1989 1115 65.0 17.1 n/a
1990 1015 68.0 14.9 0
1991 988 67.0 14.7 n/a
1992 974 69.0 14.1 n/a
1993 1100 72.0 15.3 n/a
1994 1136 72.7 15.6 n/a
1995 1129 75.0 15.1 n/a
1996 1129 75.0 15.1 n/a
1997 1131 74.7 15.1 19.9
1998 1101 75.7 14.5 20.7
1999 1110 76.0 14.6 27.6
2000 1070 76.0 14.1 26.9
2001 1104 76.0 14.5 25.6
2002 1074 75.0 14.3 36.8
2003 1074 75.0 14.3 36.8
2004 1026 78.0 13.2 43.8
2005 983 73.0 13.5 44.7
2006 1060 74.0 14.3 47.1
2007 1063 73.6 14.4 47.6
2008 1073 73.9 14.5 46.3
2009 1093 74.2 14.6 47.6
2010 1049 74.9 14.0 53.2
2012 1064 74.4 14.2 55.2
2013 958 74.9 12.7 58.5
2014 956 74.5 12.8 59.5
2015 963 69.0 13.9 57.8
2016 978 62.0 15.7 55.8
2017 1035 65.5 15.8 57.5
2018 1036 64.5 16.0 56.6
2019 1033 65.0 15.8 56.8
2020 1011 59.0 17.1 57.8
2021 1035 58.5 17.6 63.1
2022 997 53.5 18.6 43.9
2023 1040 61.5 16.9 67.3

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 Decatur High School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 1075 60.3 17.8 0
1989 1115 65.0 17.1 n/a
1990 1015 68.0 14.9 0
1991 988 67.0 14.7 n/a
1992 974 69.0 14.1 n/a
1993 1100 72.0 15.3 n/a
1994 1136 72.7 15.6 n/a
1995 1129 75.0 15.1 n/a
1996 1129 75.0 15.1 n/a
1997 1131 74.7 15.1 19.9
1998 1101 75.7 14.5 20.7
1999 1110 76.0 14.6 27.6
2000 1070 76.0 14.1 26.9
2001 1104 76.0 14.5 25.6
2002 1074 75.0 14.3 36.8
2003 1074 75.0 14.3 36.8
2004 1026 78.0 13.2 43.8
2005 983 73.0 13.5 44.7
2006 1060 74.0 14.3 47.1
2007 1063 73.6 14.4 47.6
2008 1073 73.9 14.5 46.3
2009 1093 74.2 14.6 47.6
2010 1049 74.9 14.0 53.2
2012 1064 74.4 14.2 55.2
2013 958 74.9 12.7 58.5
2014 956 74.5 12.8 59.5
2015 963 69.0 13.9 57.8
2016 978 62.0 15.7 55.8
2017 1035 65.5 15.8 57.5
2018 1036 64.5 16.0 56.6
2019 1033 65.0 15.8 56.8
2020 1011 59.0 17.1 57.8
2021 1035 58.5 17.6 63.1
2022 997 53.5 18.6 43.9
2023 1040 61.5 16.9 67.3

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 Decatur High School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,553 (12.0%) $11,379 (87.7%) $12,970

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

Impact of COVID-19 on Decatur 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 196th of 366 High schoolsRanks 85th of 371 High schools
 30.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Mathematics (Decatur High School)41.432.2
 9.2%
   End of Course Mathematics (Decatur City)39.726.2
 13.5%
   End of Course Mathematics (Alabama)42.523.6
 19%
End of Course Science (Decatur High School)3537.7
 2.7%
   End of Course Science (Decatur City)36.131.2
 4.9%
   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 Students10331040
 0.7%
African American267267
American Indian43
 25%
Asian710
 42.9%
Hispanic271332
 22.5%
Pacific Islander22
White463381
 17.7%
Two or More Races1945
 136.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients56.8%67.3%
 10.5%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Decatur High School

Decatur High School ranks 184th of 378 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Decatur High School are 37% White, 32% Hispanic, 26% African American, 4% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,040 students attended Decatur 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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