Can I use DeKalb County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the DeKalb County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in DeKalb County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in DeKalb County?

Start with the 20 listed public schools and 2 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

DeKalb County Schools & Education

Name: DeKalb County, Alabama Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

DeKalb County, Alabama

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

55/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

94.8%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

94.8%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$6,415

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,270

School Score

55/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#10

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: DeKalb County

Measured School Summary

DeKalb County performs at an average level with a school score of 55/100 and a solid graduation rate of 94.8%.

Funding Context

At $6,415 per pupil, DeKalb County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 36% above the Alabama average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 4.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 2% higher than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read DeKalb County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

20 public schools and 2 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

55/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #10 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.

Completion

94.8%

4.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$6,415

$145 above the state average

School coverage

2 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

DeKalb County has 20 public schools across 2 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What DeKalb County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Dominant-district county

DeKalb County carries most of the listed public-school system, with 15 of 20 schools. Start there, then verify whether your target address sits inside that district slice.

State position

#10

of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 15 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

DeKalb County

Elementary to high school visible

8,717 students

Elementary 3Middle 1High 3Other 8

15 listed schools in this county slice.

Fort Payne City

Elementary to high school visible

3,515 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 1

5 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

DeKalb County is the largest listed district slice, with 15 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in DeKalb County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different DeKalb County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Data Story

DeKalb County Graduation Rates Surpass State and National Levels

Education data brief for DeKalb County, Alabama.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:Graduation rate

DeKalb County reports a graduation rate of 94.8%, significantly higher than the Alabama state average of 90.7% and the national benchmark of 87.0%. This figure stands out alongside a per-pupil expenditure of $6,415, which is roughly half of the national average of $13,000 but slightly above the state average of $6,270. The county’s public education landscape is primarily rural, with 15 of its 20 schools categorized as rural locales. The DeKalb County school district is the larger of two systems in the area, enrolling 8,717 students across 15 schools, including Plainview School, which serves 1,264 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. The county maintains a composite school score of 54.5, exceeding the state average of 40.0 and the national median of 50.0. There are no charter schools operating within the county. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

in DeKalb County

Reported Enrollment

12,232

20 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary5

Middle2

High4

Other9

2 School Districts in DeKalb County

DeKalb County

Fort Payne City

20 Public Schools in DeKalb County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 5 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 20 matching schools

Public schools in DeKalb County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Plainview School	Profile	DeKalb County	Rainsville, 35986Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	1,264
Geraldine School	Profile	DeKalb County	Geraldine, 35974Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	1,150
Fort Payne High School	Profile	Fort Payne City	Fort Payne, 35967Town: Distant	9–12	High	1,058
Sylvania School	Profile	DeKalb County	Sylvania, 35988Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	945
Fyffe High School	Profile	DeKalb County	Fyffe, 35971Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	937
Collinsville High School	Record	DeKalb County	Collinsville, 35961Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	920
Wills Valley Elementary School	Record	Fort Payne City	Fort Payne, 35967Town: Distant	PK–2	Primary	808
Crossville Middle School	Record	DeKalb County	Crossville, 35962Rural: Distant	4–8	Middle	790
Fort Payne Middle School	Record	Fort Payne City	Fort Payne, 35967Town: Distant	6–8	Middle	787
Little Ridge Intermediate School	Record	Fort Payne City	Fort Payne, 35967Rural: Fringe	3–5	Primary	721
Crossville High School	Record	DeKalb County	Crossville, 35962Rural: Distant	9–12	High	657
Ider School	Record	DeKalb County	Ider, 35981Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	601
Crossville Elementary School	Record	DeKalb County	Crossville, 35962Rural: Distant	PK–3	Primary	578
Valley Head High School	Record	DeKalb County	Valley Head, 35989Rural: Distant	PK–12	Other	486
Henagar Junior High School	Record	DeKalb County	Henagar, 35978Rural: Remote	PK–8	Primary	224
Ruhuma Junior High School	Record	DeKalb County	Fort Payne, 35967Rural: Distant	PK–8	Primary	165
Williams Avenue Elementary School	Record	Fort Payne City	Fort Payne, 35967Town: Distant	PK	Other	141
Alternative School	Record	DeKalb County	Fort Payne, 35967Town: Distant	5–12	Alternative	0
Dekalb Annex School	Record	DeKalb County	Rainsville, 35986Rural: Distant	KG–12	Special Education	0
Dekalb Technical Center	Record	DeKalb County	Rainsville, 35986Rural: Distant	10–12	Vocational	0

Plainview School

DeKalb County

Rainsville, 35986 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–12Other1,264 students

Geraldine School

DeKalb County

Geraldine, 35974 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–12Other1,150 students

Fort Payne High School

Fort Payne City

Fort Payne, 35967 / Town: Distant

Profile9–12High1,058 students

Sylvania School

DeKalb County

Sylvania, 35988 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–12Other945 students

Fyffe High School

DeKalb County

Fyffe, 35971 / Rural: Distant

ProfilePK–12Other937 students

Collinsville High School

DeKalb County

Collinsville, 35961 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other920 students

Wills Valley Elementary School

Fort Payne City

Fort Payne, 35967 / Town: Distant

RecordPK–2Primary808 students

Crossville Middle School

DeKalb County

Crossville, 35962 / Rural: Distant

Record4–8Middle790 students

Fort Payne Middle School

Fort Payne City

Fort Payne, 35967 / Town: Distant

Record6–8Middle787 students

Little Ridge Intermediate School

Fort Payne City

Fort Payne, 35967 / Rural: Fringe

Record3–5Primary721 students

Crossville High School

DeKalb County

Crossville, 35962 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High657 students

Ider School

DeKalb County

Ider, 35981 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other601 students

Crossville Elementary School

DeKalb County

Crossville, 35962 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–3Primary578 students

Valley Head High School

DeKalb County

Valley Head, 35989 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–12Other486 students

Henagar Junior High School

DeKalb County

Henagar, 35978 / Rural: Remote

RecordPK–8Primary224 students

Ruhuma Junior High School

DeKalb County

Fort Payne, 35967 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–8Primary165 students

Williams Avenue Elementary School

Fort Payne City

Fort Payne, 35967 / Town: Distant

RecordPKOther141 students

Alternative School

DeKalb County

Fort Payne, 35967 / Town: Distant

Record5–12Alternative0 students

Dekalb Annex School

DeKalb County

Rainsville, 35986 / Rural: Distant

RecordKG–12Special Education0 students

Dekalb Technical Center

DeKalb County

Rainsville, 35986 / Rural: Distant

Record10–12Vocational0 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$6,415

State avg $6,270

Compare Nearby Counties

Review DeKalb County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?

Cleburne County (97.0%), Henry County (97.0%), and Pickens County (97.0%) currently lead Alabama among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?

Across Alabama counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,270. The highest current county values are Lowndes County ($8,377), Macon County ($7,057), and Jefferson County ($6,920). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

How should I read the school score in DeKalb County?

DeKalb County has a school score of 55/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in DeKalb County?

The high school graduation rate in DeKalb County is 94.8%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does DeKalb County spend per student?

DeKalb County spends $6,415 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Henry County

Alabama

-0 pts

54/100

School score

Covington County

Alabama

-0 pts

54/100

School score

Macon County

Alabama

-1 pts

54/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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