Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainAthens’s public schools outscore 71% of Alabama districts
On the state reading tests, 54% of Athens’s students scored proficient, above the Alabama average (47%). The grade covers the public school district serving Athens, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within Alabama, not nationally.
From Alabama state tests taken in spring 2022, when 100% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.
Athens’s schools, in brief
Above the state on both counts
Reading proficiency is 54% and math 31% in spring 2022, against 47% and 27% statewide; 93% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 90%. Test scores ↓
Spending and class size
The district spends $11,710 per student, against $13,926 across Alabama (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓
Four elementary schools, then one middle and one high school
Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Athens Middle School, then Athens High School. Enrollment is up 19% since 2020–21. See the path ↓
Choice beyond the district
Athens Bible School (private) is in town. Athens Renaissance School and Renaissance Virtual School, online schools, are based here too; they aren’t counted as local schools. Every school ↓
Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.
What’s behind Athens’s grade
B+: better than 71% of Alabama school districts, #57 of 187 Alabama towns. Test scores and graduation are both above the Alabama average; test scores are the stronger of the two.
Where will my kid go?
Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Athens, with each school’s own grade.
4th grade in Athens
Athens Intermediate School
Grades 4–5 · 641 students · 18:1 students per teacher
5th grade in Athens
Athens Intermediate School
Grades 4–5 · 641 students · 18:1 students per teacher
6th grade in Athens
Athens Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 935 students · 19:1 students per teacher
7th grade in Athens
Athens Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 935 students · 19:1 students per teacher
8th grade in Athens
Athens Middle School
Grades 6–8 · 935 students · 19:1 students per teacher
9th grade in Athens
Athens High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,278 students · 17:1 students per teacher
10th grade in Athens
Athens High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,278 students · 17:1 students per teacher
11th grade in Athens
Athens High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,278 students · 17:1 students per teacher
12th grade in Athens
Athens High School
Grades 9–12 · 1,278 students · 17:1 students per teacher
Athens’s public schools are run by Athens City School District. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.
The district
Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.
Well above the state in reading
Athens vs. its neighbors
Schools grades for the Alabama towns that share Athens’s borders.
| Town | Schools | Main districts |
|---|---|---|
| Athens | B+ | Athens City |
| Huntsville | B | Huntsville City |
Every school in Athens
10 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Alabama’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).
Left off: 1 public program with fewer than 25 students (Limestone County Area Vocational Technology).
Questions about Athens’s schools
Are Athens’s schools good?
By Alabama’s own tests, yes: the public schools Athens children attend outscore 71% of Alabama’s school districts on tests and graduation, a B+ Schools grade, #57 of 187 Alabama towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 71%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.
What school district is Athens in?
Athens City School District, which runs grades PK–12 and enrolls 5,405 students in 9 schools (2024–25).
Where do Athens kids go to high school?
Athens High School, with 1,278 students; its own test results earn a B.
What is Athens’s graduation rate?
93% of the class of 2023 in Athens City School District graduated in four years, against 90% across Alabama.
How much does Athens spend per student?
$11,710 in Athens City School District (FY2024), against $13,926 across Alabama. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.
Are there private schools in Athens?
Yes: Athens Bible School (religious, grades PK–12, 324 students).
Parents talk
What Athens families are saying about school.
Looking for colleges? Colleges near Athens → They have their own page.
School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within Alabama. Stars are from neighbors.