Hartselle, Athens ranked in top school districts in Alabama
Hartselle received the No. 10 spot out of 141 school districts. Athens was ranked No. 18.
"I would say greatness breeds greatness," said Hartselle City Schools Superintendent Brian Clayton. "It's kind of hard to get away from it. Once you set a certain standard, that's what people do. It's the expectation."
HCS has consistently been in the top 10 school districts in the state for multiple years, according to Niche.
The website releases school rankings each year. Factors considered for the rankings include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates and teacher quality. A higher weight is placed on the academics. Teachers, culture and diversity, and self-reported surveys are considered at a lower weight. Then resources and facilities, extracurricular opportunities and sports are weighed even lower.
Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and parent-student surveys.
Hartselle was also ranked the 14th best high school in the state by U.S. News & World Report in 2024. The school district received an overall grade of an A from Niche.
Its ratings for sports, extracurricular activities, resources and administration were particularly high. Its lowest performance was in the diversity area.
Clayton attributed the high rating largely to great teachers, who work to develop themselves. He said the community has also come to know HCS for having high standards for staff and students.
"The worst thing you can do to a kid is have low expectations of them because I always say a kid will rise to whatever the expectation is, or they will fall to whatever the expectation is," Clayton said.
One specific area where HCS has focused its growth efforts over the last school year was adhering to the Alabama Numeracy Act, which sought to improve elementary-level math proficiency. The school district brought in math coaches to help improve students' mathematical understanding.
Clayton anticipates Holly Sutherland, the new superintendent, who will have taken over the role completely by the end of the month, will continue to aspire to meet the community's expectations of the school.
Athens City Schools also received an overall grade of an A. The areas it performed the best in were extracurricular offerings, diversity and college prep. Its lowest performance was in the teachers area.
ACS has been on the rise from previous years. A ranking released by Niche in 2023 has it listed as No. 25.
"This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, high-quality teaching, college and career readiness, and community," said Athens City Schools Superintendent Beth Patton. "We take great pride in being a progressive system that empowers our students for future success."
Patton said that the school system feels honored by its ranking from Niche.
— GraciAnn.Goodin@DecaturDaily.com or 256-340-2437
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