Sipsey Valley High School

Q: Is Sipsey Valley High School a good school?

Sipsey Valley High School ranks 135 th of 378 Alabama high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Sipsey Valley High School is a public high school located in Buhl, Alabama, serving grades 9-12 with a student population of 511 and is part of the Tuscaloosa County School District.

Sipsey Valley High School has a predominantly white student population, with 70.25% of students identifying as white, which is significantly higher than the nearby schools like Holt High School and Hillcrest High School, which have more diverse student populations. Academically, the school's performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in Summative Assessments, is generally lower than the Tuscaloosa County and Alabama state averages. However, the school's African American students and special education students have performed relatively well compared to their peers at other schools in the region.

Sipsey Valley High School has a relatively high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, at 57.93%, which is higher than the nearby Tuscaloosa County High School (55.4%) but lower than Holt High School (89.66%). The school's spending per student ($9,890 in 2018-2019) is lower than some nearby schools but higher than others, and its statewide ranking has fluctuated over the years, suggesting the need for continued improvement efforts to better support student achievement.

Detail:

Public 9-12

15815 Romulus Rd
Buhl, AL 35446

(205) 342-2850

District: Tuscaloosa County

SchoolDigger Rank:
135^th of 378 Alabama High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,890

Feeder schools for Sipsey Valley High School:

Elementary:	Buhl Elementary School
	Crestmont Elementary School
	FaucettVestavia Elementary School
	Flatwoods Elementary School
	More...
	Huntington Place Elementary School
	Matthews Elementary School
	Myrtlewood Elementary School
	Northport Elementary School
	Westwood Elementary School
Middle:	CollinsRiverside Middle School
	Echols Middle School
	Sipsey Valley Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 19.8

Number of students: 511

Racial breakdown:

White:

70.3%

African American:

19.2%

Hispanic:

10.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.9%

See top rated Alabama high schools

Compare Sipsey Valley High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sipsey Valley High School ranks better than 64.3% of high schools in Alabama. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Tuscaloosa County School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.31. (See more...)

The Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) measures the percentage of Sipsey Valley High School freshmen who graduate within four years, adjusting for students who transfer in or out.

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

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (70.3%), African American (19.2%), Hispanic (10%). (See more...)

Compare Details 57.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sipsey Valley High School is 19.8, which is the highest among 6 high schools in the Tuscaloosa County School District! (See more...)

Compare Sipsey Valley High School employs 25.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sipsey Valley High School is $9,890, which is the 2^nd highest among 6 high schools in the Tuscaloosa County School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sipsey Valley High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Sipsey Valley High School 135^th of 378 Alabama public high schools. (See Sipsey Valley 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:

Native American students:

White students:

Tuscaloosa County:

SchoolDigger ranks Tuscaloosa County 90^th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sipsey Valley High School

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Rank History for all students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2012	60.14	147^th	358	58.9%
2013	56.16	176^th	358	50.8%
2014	52.85	159^th	358	55.6%
2015	35.47	239^th	353	32.3%
2016	72.22	69^th	351	80.3%
2017	47.57	163^rd	353	53.8%
2018	56.14	156^th	356	56.2%
2019	61.84	138^th	366	62.3%
2021	51.03	159^th	371	57.1%
2022	46.00	186^th	367	49.3%
2023	46.08	174^th	371	53.1%
2024	57.31	135^th	378	64.3%

See the entire list of Alabama High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2019	70.15	32^nd	171	81.3%
2021	56.15	67^th	196	65.8%
2022	94.59	7^th	169	95.9%
2023	61.70	48^th	182	73.6%
2024	17.89	176^th	198	11.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	48.12	145^th	315	54.0%
2018	52.25	165^th	349	52.7%
2019	68.93	97^th	358	72.9%
2021	40.94	205^th	361	43.2%
2022	56.76	126^th	361	65.1%
2023	45.47	171^st	349	51.0%
2024	50.62	157^th	375	58.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	45.79	162^nd	343	52.8%
2018	45.75	197^th	347	43.2%
2019	47.09	199^th	354	43.8%
2021	61.14	120^th	359	66.6%
2022	43.17	200^th	367	45.5%
2023	58.32	133^rd	358	62.8%
2024	62.97	108^th	366	70.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	47.77	161^st	339	52.5%
2018	63.05	123^rd	350	64.9%
2019	71.35	88^th	357	75.4%
2021	40.38	207^th	366	43.4%
2022	47.71	170^th	366	53.6%
2023	29.95	249^th	358	30.4%
2024	48.17	172^nd	368	53.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	39.46	110^th	189	41.8%
2018	61.47	57^th	223	74.4%
2019	66.78	49^th	224	78.1%
2021	43.21	108^th	228	52.6%
2022	32.55	148^th	222	33.3%
2023	50.54	86^th	224	61.6%
2024	72.26	39^th	231	83.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2018	6.46	94^th	95	1.1%
2022	21.13	93^rd	114	18.4%
2024	37.13	78^th	139	43.9%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	34.63	34^th	55	38.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	43.62	114^th	230	50.4%
2018	57.43	109^th	300	63.7%
2019	49.80	144^th	313	54.0%
2021	48.20	142^nd	319	55.5%
2022	42.17	164^th	326	49.7%
2023	38.71	172^nd	317	45.7%
2024	51.20	129^th	325	60.3%

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 Sipsey Valley High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2011	267	92	1	5	0	0	3	368
2012	304	98	0	5	2	0	4	413
2013	345	99	0	11	1	0	3	459
2014	359	103	0	18	1	4	1	486
2015	392	102	1	21	0	4	1	521
2016	373	111	1	29	1	2	4	521
2017	360	113	2	30	2	1	5	513
2018	359	106	2	24	4	0	8	503
2019	341	108	2	36	3	0	1	491
2020	370	103	1	32	2	0	1	509
2021	350	105	1	37	2	0	1	496
2022	329	94	1	45	1	1	2	473
2023	359	98	1	51	1	0	1	511

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 Sipsey Valley High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	368	21.9	16.8	52.7
2012	413	23.4	17.6	50.4
2013	459	27.2	16.8	48.1
2014	486	26.9	18.0	48.4
2015	521	26.0	20.0	45.9
2016	521	27.0	19.2	45.9
2017	513	27.0	18.9	46.2
2018	503	28.0	17.9	41.4
2019	491	27.0	18.1	41.5
2020	509	26.5	19.2	49.9
2021	496	28.5	17.4	53.4
2022	473	27.5	17.2	27.7
2023	511	25.7	19.8	57.9

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 Sipsey Valley High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	368	21.9	16.8	52.7
2012	413	23.4	17.6	50.4
2013	459	27.2	16.8	48.1
2014	486	26.9	18.0	48.4
2015	521	26.0	20.0	45.9
2016	521	27.0	19.2	45.9
2017	513	27.0	18.9	46.2
2018	503	28.0	17.9	41.4
2019	491	27.0	18.1	41.5
2020	509	26.5	19.2	49.9
2021	496	28.5	17.4	53.4
2022	473	27.5	17.2	27.7
2023	511	25.7	19.8	57.9

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 Sipsey Valley High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,116 (11.3%)	$8,750 (88.5%)	$9,890

Data source: Alabama Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Sipsey Valley 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 138^th of 366 High schools	Ranks 174^th of 371 High schools	9.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
End of Course Mathematics (Sipsey Valley High School)	54.7	16.7	38%
End of Course Mathematics (Tuscaloosa County)	44.8	18.3	26.6%
End of Course Mathematics (Alabama)	42.5	23.6	19%
End of Course Science (Sipsey Valley High School)	40.2	30.2	10%
End of Course Science (Tuscaloosa County)	42.2	29.2	12.9%
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	491	511	4.1%
African American	108	98	9.3%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	2	1	50%
Hispanic	36	51	41.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	341	359	5.3%
Two or More Races	1	1
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	41.5%	57.9%	16.4%

Schools Near Sipsey Valley 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 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Sipsey Valley High School	Public	9-12	15815 Romulus Rd	Buhl	35446	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2850	511	26	19.8	57.9%	359 (70.3%)	98 (19.2%)	51 (10.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	57.3	135^th of 378 public high schools	64.3%		46.1	174^th of 371 public high schools	53.1%	39			19.1		30.5			29.3	$9,890	$1,116	$8,750
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)
Central High School	Public	9-12	905 15th Street	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3720	783	47	16.8	84.0%	39 (5.0%)	701 (89.5%)	34 (4.3%)	5 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	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
Tuscaloosa County High School	Public	9-12	12500 Wildcat Dr	Northport	35475	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2670	1,545	90	17.1	55.4%	825 (53.4%)	437 (28.3%)	250 (16.2%)	17 (1.1%)	4 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	11 (0.7%)	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
Hillcrest High School	Public	9-12	300 Patriot Pkwy	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2800	1,356	71	19.0	64.6%	494 (36.4%)	767 (56.6%)	61 (4.5%)	22 (1.6%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	10 (0.7%)	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
Northridge High School	Public	9-12	2901 Northridge Rd	Tuscaloosa	35406	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3590	1,145	52	22.2	35.1%	637 (55.6%)	413 (36.1%)	51 (4.5%)	30 (2.6%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	9 (0.8%)	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 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)
Gordo High School	Public	7-12	630 4th St NW	Gordo	35466	Pickens County	Pickens County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 364-7353	513	25	20.6	58.1%	341 (66.5%)	119 (23.2%)	41 (8.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	25.3	286^th of 378 public high schools	24.3%		21.4	296^th of 371 public high schools	20.2%	10	9.6	4.2	1.1	15.5	18.2	51.2	49.3	19.8	$9,349	$1,650	$7,655
Hale County High School	Public	9-12	50 Wildcat Way	Moundville	35474	Hale County	Hale County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 371-2514	379	22	17.6	59.4%	185 (48.8%)	180 (47.5%)	10 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	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
Holt High School	Public	9-12	301 44th Ct NE	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 342-2768	435	26	16.6	89.7%	95 (21.8%)	194 (44.6%)	142 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	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

Frequently Asked Questions about Sipsey Valley High School

Sipsey Valley High School

Sipsey Valley High School:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Tuscaloosa County:

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Rank History for Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for all students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Special Education students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Female students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Male students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for African American students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for Native American students at Sipsey Valley High School

Rank History for White students at Sipsey Valley High School

Enrollment information for Sipsey Valley High School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Sipsey Valley High School

Student/Teacher Ratio Sipsey Valley High School

Per Pupil Expenditures for Sipsey Valley High School

Impact of COVID-19 on Sipsey Valley High School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Sipsey Valley High School

Frequently Asked Questions about Sipsey Valley High School

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