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Public high school · Tuscaloosa County · Buhl, Alabama

Sipsey Valley High School

Sipsey Valley High School rates 5.9, right at the middle of Tuscaloosa County's high schools, whose rated median is 5.8.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.9this school

5.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Tuscaloosa County median is 5.8.

#830 of 1,360 schools in Alabama · Tuscaloosa County: 6 high schools rated, median 5.8

The brief

A Tuscaloosa County high school where students score 22 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 830 of 1,360 schools in Alabama and 15 of 35 in Tuscaloosa County.

Sipsey Valley High School is listed in Tuscaloosa County, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math22%9 points below the Alabama average of 31%2026 ACAP
Reading31%14 points below the Alabama average of 45%2026 ACAP
Proficiency has improved 13 points since 2025, reaching 27% in 2026, across a 2-year record (2025–2026).2026 ACAP; 38 test records from AL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.9
25% of the rating
Academics
3.5
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.8
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
4.0
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 34% (multi-year average, 2010-2026) · reading/ELA 41% (multi-year average, 2010-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 35446; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2010-2026; directory SY 2023–24

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Sipsey Valley High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$50,650
Median home value
$106,900
Median rent
$823/mo
College educated
5.1%
Homeownership
75.8%
Poverty rate
21.1%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 35446; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
4
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
20
Somewhat Bikeable
County reported crime
1,850/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 county residents, counting every city police department, sheriff's office and county police department that reported a full year to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. Shown only where those agencies cover at least 80% of the county's residents. Not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · county context, not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

AP and IB
3 AP courses
4.5% participation · state average 2.5 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
14 sports
7 boys' · 7 girls' · 19 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
4 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
57.6%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible district peers, best rated first.
  1. Sipsey Valley High Schoolthis school
    5.9
  2. 5.7Compare →
No grade-compatible school using the same rating model is available within 5 miles, so these are one recorded peers in Tuscaloosa County, best rated first, and none rates higher than Sipsey Valley High School.Public-school ratings. Same-district campuses. A district label is not attendance eligibility; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does Sipsey Valley High School serve?

Sipsey Valley High School serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Sipsey Valley High School?

Sipsey Valley High School has an enrollment of approximately 510 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Sipsey Valley High School?

The student-teacher ratio at Sipsey Valley High School is 18.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Sipsey Valley High School rank in AL?

Sipsey Valley High School ranks #830 of 1,360 schools in AL.

What is Sipsey Valley High School's MySchoolScout rating?

Sipsey Valley High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Sipsey Valley High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Sipsey Valley High School has 34% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2010-2026) and 41% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2010-2026).

Is Sipsey Valley High School a charter school?

No, Sipsey Valley High School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Sipsey Valley High School a Title I school?

No, Sipsey Valley High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sipsey Valley High School?

57.6% of students at Sipsey Valley High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
510
Student-teacher ratio
18.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
28
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Distant Rural
County
Tuscaloosa County
4-year graduation
90–94%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#15 of 35
Schools in district
36
District spending per student
$11,564
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
14.6%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 35446)
1,772
Area average commute
32.5 min
Area median age
34.4

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Alabama Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.