Is Paul W Bryant High School a good school?

Paul W Bryant High School ranks in the bottom 16.4% of Alabama high schools.

How many students attend Paul W Bryant High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,072 students attended Paul W Bryant High School.

What is the racial makeup of Paul W Bryant High School?

Students at Paul W Bryant High School are 87% African American, 7% Hispanic, 4% White.

What schools feed into Paul W Bryant High School?

Paul W Bryant High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Arcadia Elementary School Elementary : Skyland Elementary School Elementary : Southview Elementary School Elementary : Woodland Forrest Elementary School Middle : Eastwood Middle School

Paul W Bryant High School

Summary:

Paul W Bryant High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Cottondale, Alabama, with a student population of 1,042 that is predominantly African American (over 86%). The school is part of the Tuscaloosa City School District, which is ranked 86 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite having a Special Education program that ranks 7th out of 198 Alabama high schools, Paul W Bryant High School consistently performs below the Tuscaloosa City and Alabama state averages on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 4.62% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 17.77% for Tuscaloosa City and 23.12% for the state. Similar gaps are seen in Science (13.03% vs. 26.32% and 34.76%) and English (10.87% vs. 24.42% and 28.09%). The school's statewide ranking has also steadily declined over the past several years, from 276th out of 358 Alabama high schools in 2013-2014 to 316th out of 378 in 2023-2024.

When compared to other high schools in the Tuscaloosa area, Paul W Bryant High School performs significantly worse. For example, Northridge High School, also in the Tuscaloosa City district, ranked 36th out of 378 Alabama high schools in 2023-2024 and had much higher proficiency rates in Mathematics, Science, and English. The school's high percentage of economically disadvantaged students (around 48% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch) and racial achievement disparities suggest the need for targeted interventions and support to improve student outcomes.

Detail:

Public 9-12

6315 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive
Cottondale, AL 35453

(205) 759-3538

District: Tuscaloosa City

SchoolDigger Rank:
316^th of 378 Alabama High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,385

Feeder schools for Paul W Bryant High School:

Elementary:	Arcadia Elementary School
	Skyland Elementary School
	Southview Elementary School
	Woodland Forrest Elementary School
Middle:	Eastwood Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.3

Number of students: 1,072

Racial breakdown:

African American:

86.8%

Hispanic:

7.3%

White:

4.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 48.4%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Paul W Bryant High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Paul W Bryant High School ranks worse than 83.6% of high schools in Alabama. It also ranks last among 3 ranked high schools in the Tuscaloosa City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 17.09. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Paul W Bryant High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (86.8%), Hispanic (7.3%), White (4.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 48.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Paul W Bryant High School is 19.3. 1 high schools in the Tuscaloosa City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Paul W Bryant High School employs 55.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Paul W Bryant High School is $9,385, which is the lowest among 3 high schools in the Tuscaloosa City School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Paul W Bryant High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Paul W Bryant High School 316^th of 378 Alabama public high schools. (See Paul W Bryant High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Tuscaloosa City:

SchoolDigger ranks Tuscaloosa City 86^th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Paul W Bryant High School?

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Rank History for Paul W Bryant High School

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Rank History for all students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2004	35.85	274^th	357	23.2%
2005	57.98	150^th	359	58.2%
2006	34.08	295^th	357	17.4%
2007	34.68	280^th	358	21.8%
2008	37.56	269^th	359	25.1%
2009	32.96	287^th	357	19.6%
2010	25.12	308^th	358	14.0%
2011	18.57	330^th	360	8.3%
2012	6.98	347^th	358	3.1%
2013	25.87	332^nd	358	7.3%
2014	26.28	276^th	358	22.9%
2015	23.77	278^th	353	21.2%
2016	19.19	292^nd	351	16.8%
2017	12.82	319^th	353	9.6%
2018	19.65	284^th	356	20.2%
2019	15.10	310^th	366	15.3%
2021	12.60	336^th	371	9.4%
2022	17.26	311^th	367	15.3%
2023	21.02	299^th	371	19.4%
2024	17.09	316^th	378	16.4%

See the entire list of Alabama High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2018	42.44	77^th	160	51.9%
2019	25.99	136^th	171	20.5%
2021	42.56	111^th	196	43.4%
2022	85.46	13^th	169	92.3%
2023	91.92	7^th	182	96.2%
2024	93.96	7^th	198	96.5%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	15.27	299^th	315	5.1%
2018	13.11	311^th	349	10.9%
2019	11.89	325^th	358	9.2%
2021	12.73	340^th	361	5.8%
2022	23.49	291^st	361	19.4%
2023	24.09	277^th	349	20.6%
2024	19.72	315^th	375	16.0%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	11.79	16^th	17	5.9%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	17.93	289^th	343	15.7%
2018	16.49	288^th	347	17.0%
2019	11.93	308^th	354	13.0%
2021	12.50	324^th	359	9.7%
2022	18.35	311^th	367	15.3%
2023	20.17	291^st	358	18.7%
2024	17.04	314^th	366	14.2%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	9.67	321^st	339	5.3%
2018	24.56	274^th	350	21.7%
2019	19.54	291^st	357	18.5%
2021	14.34	325^th	366	11.2%
2022	18.82	301^st	366	17.8%
2023	21.22	287^th	358	19.8%
2024	17.97	306^th	368	16.8%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	32.03	131^st	189	30.7%
2018	46.45	103^rd	223	53.8%
2019	42.40	113^th	224	49.6%
2021	28.34	176^th	228	22.8%
2022	33.01	147^th	222	33.8%
2023	44.46	109^th	224	51.3%
2024	32.84	152^nd	231	34.2%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	15.79	84^th	93	9.7%
2019	7.48	103^rd	103	0.0%
2021	14.99	103^rd	113	8.8%
2022	59.06	38^th	114	66.7%
2023	12.99	117^th	122	4.1%
2024	24.20	111^th	139	20.1%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	13.01	38^th	40	5.0%
2022	40.69	20^th	40	50.0%

See the entire list of Best Alabama High Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	12.23	221^st	230	3.9%
2018	36.22	194^th	300	35.3%
2019	19.98	268^th	313	14.4%
2021	53.81	122^nd	319	61.8%
2022	64.89	89^th	326	72.7%
2024	67.38	82^nd	325	74.8%

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.

Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Paul W Bryant High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2004	282	532	8	11	0	n/a	n/a	2	835
2005	309	623	7	6	0	n/a	n/a	0	945
2006	314	704	7	8	0	n/a	n/a	5	1038
2007	272	723	4	20	2	n/a	n/a	7	1028
2008	243	757	7	29	1	n/a	n/a	0	1037
2009	207	665	9	28	1	n/a	n/a	0	910
2010	184	681	15	40	0	n/a	n/a	1	921
2011	181	712	12	36	0	0	3	0	944
2012	139	693	10	28	0	0	1	0	871
2013	130	675	4	28	0	0	1	0	838
2014	115	718	4	26	0	0	0	0	863
2015	104	720	5	40	0	0	3	0	872
2016	106	720	4	39	2	1	5	0	877
2017	102	966	6	41	1	2	4	0	1122
2018	98	1006	6	52	2	3	2	0	1169
2019	67	940	5	47	1	7	0	0	1067
2020	65	911	5	61	2	11	3	0	1058
2021	59	888	3	57	2	8	3	0	1020
2022	51	910	6	70	3	5	1	0	1046
2023	54	899	6	69	1	7	6	0	1042
2024	48	930	8	78	0	2	6	0	1072

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 Paul W Bryant High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	835	40.0	20.9	41.5
2005	945	59.0	16.0	39.7
2006	1038	58.0	17.8	54
2007	1028	57.0	18.0	46.1
2008	1037	58.5	17.7	45
2009	910	55.0	16.4	54.7
2010	921	47.0	19.5	49.8
2011	944	51.7	18.2	58.6
2012	871	56.7	15.3	60
2013	838	54.8	15.2	63.7
2014	863	52.8	16.3	60.7
2015	872	49.0	17.7	50.8
2016	877	48.0	18.2	53.9
2017	1122	52.2	21.4	48.6
2018	1169	57.9	20.1	48.4
2019	1067	60.1	17.7	48.4
2020	1058	56.3	18.7	48.4
2021	1020	59.7	17.0	48.4
2022	1046	53.7	19.4	48.4
2023	1042	51.2	20.3	48.5
2024	1072	55.5	19.3	48.4

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 Paul W Bryant High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2004	835	40.0	20.9	41.5
2005	945	59.0	16.0	39.7
2006	1038	58.0	17.8	54
2007	1028	57.0	18.0	46.1
2008	1037	58.5	17.7	45
2009	910	55.0	16.4	54.7
2010	921	47.0	19.5	49.8
2011	944	51.7	18.2	58.6
2012	871	56.7	15.3	60
2013	838	54.8	15.2	63.7
2014	863	52.8	16.3	60.7
2015	872	49.0	17.7	50.8
2016	877	48.0	18.2	53.9
2017	1122	52.2	21.4	48.6
2018	1169	57.9	20.1	48.4
2019	1067	60.1	17.7	48.4
2020	1058	56.3	18.7	48.4
2021	1020	59.7	17.0	48.4
2022	1046	53.7	19.4	48.4
2023	1042	51.2	20.3	48.5
2024	1072	55.5	19.3	48.4

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 Paul W Bryant High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,183 (12.6%)	$8,183 (87.2%)	$9,385

Data source: Alabama Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul W Bryant 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 310^th of 366 High schools	Ranks 299^th of 371 High schools	4.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Mathematics (Paul W Bryant High School)	18.4	5	13.4%
End of Course Mathematics (Tuscaloosa City)	36.9	19.5	17.4%
End of Course Mathematics (Alabama)	42.5	23.6	19%
End of Course Science (Paul W Bryant High School)	18	12.2	5.8%
End of Course Science (Tuscaloosa City)	33	28.7	4.3%
End of Course Science (Alabama)	42.6	31.7	10.9%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1067	1042	2.3%
African American	940	899	4.4%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	5	6	20%
Hispanic	47	69	46.8%
Pacific Islander	7	7
White	67	54	19.4%
Two or More Races	0	6
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	48.4%	48.5%	0.1%

Schools Near Paul W Bryant High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2024)	Summative Assessment Science (2024)	Summative Assessment English (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Paul W Bryant High School	Public	9-12	6315 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive	Cottondale	35453	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3538	1,072	56	19.3	48.4%	48 (4.5%)	930 (86.8%)	78 (7.3%)	8 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	6 (0.6%)	17.1	316^th of 378 public high schools	16.4%		21	299^th of 371 public high schools	19.4%	17	4.6	13.0	10.9	$9,385	$1,183	$8,183
Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center	Public	7-12	5941 12th Ave East	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 349-3131	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Holt High School	Public	9-12	301 44th Ct NE	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 342-2768	424	29	14.5	73.1%	90 (21.2%)	184 (43.4%)	147 (34.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	15.7	326^th of 378 public high schools	13.8%		17	319^th of 371 public high schools	14.0%	7	6.2	13.4	6.5	$17,319	$5,702	$9,624
Hillcrest High School	Public	9-12	300 Patriot Pkwy	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2800	1,422	77	18.4	64.1%	491 (34.5%)	815 (57.3%)	72 (5.1%)	23 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (1.5%)	55.6	146^th of 378 public high schools	61.4%		55.9	137^th of 371 public high schools	63.1%	9	18.3	32.3	26.2	$8,119	$806	$7,290
Central High School	Public	9-12	905 15th Street	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3720	834	50	16.7	84.1%	40 (4.8%)	743 (89.1%)	42 (5.0%)	6 (0.7%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	23.1	292^nd of 378 public high schools	22.8%		15.4	328^th of 371 public high schools	11.6%	36	9.0	14.0	14.4	$14,113	$2,234	$11,666
Northridge High School	Public	9-12	2901 Northridge Rd	Tuscaloosa	35406	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3590	1,158	55	21.0	35.1%	625 (54.0%)	411 (35.5%)	64 (5.5%)	39 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	15 (1.3%)	89.2	36^th of 378 public high schools	90.5%		95.7	22^nd of 371 public high schools	94.1%	14	35.5	46.6	43.1	$9,436	$579	$8,838
Tuscaloosa Career and Technology Academy	Public	9-12	2800 Martin Luther King Jr Bou	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3649	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Brookwood High School	Public	9-12	12250 George Richmond Parkway	Brookwood	35444	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2777	1,094	61	17.9	57.9%	824 (75.3%)	157 (14.4%)	89 (8.1%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	19 (1.7%)	28.9	268^th of 378 public high schools	29.1%		55.4	141^st of 371 public high schools	62.0%	127	9.2	19.8	17.1	$9,429	$1,042	$8,363
Tuscaloosa County High School	Public	9-12	12500 Wildcat Dr	Northport	35475	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2670	1,562	88	17.7	54.6%	805 (51.5%)	433 (27.7%)	292 (18.7%)	16 (1.0%)	2 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	13 (0.8%)	56.4	140^th of 378 public high schools	63.0%		64	113^th of 371 public high schools	69.5%	27	20.1	33.2	24.4	$8,263	$719	$7,482
Hale County High School	Public	9-12	50 Wildcat Way	Moundville	35474	Hale County	Hale County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 371-2514	366	23	16.2	59.3%	166 (45.4%)	187 (51.1%)	10 (2.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	26.6	281^st of 378 public high schools	25.7%		15.8	324^th of 371 public high schools	12.7%	43	5.6	21.4	15.9	$10,298	$1,755	$8,519

Paul W Bryant High School

Paul W Bryant High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Tuscaloosa City:

What do you think?

Rank History for Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for all students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Homeless students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Female students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Male students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for African American students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for Native American students at Paul W Bryant High School

Rank History for White students at Paul W Bryant High School

Enrollment information for Paul W Bryant High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Paul W Bryant High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Paul W Bryant High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Paul W Bryant High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Paul W Bryant High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Paul W Bryant High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Paul W Bryant High School

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