Mobile County Grapples with Increased Priority: In the 2023 legislative session, the definition of “failing” schools in Alabama was changed from the bottom 6% to any school receiving a D or F on the yearly State Report Card. These schools are now referred to as “priority schools.” Mobile County, Alabama, has experienced an increase in the number of priority schools from 8 to 16 due to this change.
In the Mobile County Public School System, one-third of the 12 high schools are designated as priority schools. The average grade for all 12 high schools is 70.5, with Baker High School scoring the highest at 79. Citronelle High School is now on the list, while Blount High School and BC Rain have dropped off. The priority high schools in Mobile County are Citronelle High, LeFlore High, Vigor High, and Williamson High.
Graduation rates for all high schools, except BC Rain High School, dropped, resulting in a system-wide decrease of 4.84% to a rate of 83.09%. Data from the Alabama Department of Education indicates a budget difference of nearly $6 million per year between priority and non-priority high schools. The average yearly budget for the four priority high schools is $10.3 million, while non-priority schools average $16.0 million.
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