Jefferson County Schools (Alabama)

School district in Alabama

The Jefferson County School System is the second largest public school system in Alabama, United States. It is the third oldest school system in Jefferson County preceded only by the Birmingham and Bessemer School Systems. The Jefferson County School System was created in 1896, and initially served all unincorporated communities and cities in the county other than Birmingham and Bessemer. Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s various other cities began to establish their own separate systems (i. e., Homewood, Midfield, Vestavia Hills, Hoover, etc.). Today the County system serves students in those unincorporated areas of Jefferson County, Alabama such as Alliance, Bagley, Concord, Corner, Forestdale, McCalla, Minor, Mt. Olive, and Oak Grove. It also includes students who reside in the cities of Adamsville, Clay, Fultondale, Gardendale, Graysville, Hueytown, Irondale, Kimberly, Morris, Pinson, Pleasant Grove, and Warrior among others. Those cities listed below each have a city based school system, therefore, their students do not attend schools in the Jefferson County School System:

Bessemer (Bessemer Public Schools) (established in 1887)
Birmingham (Birmingham City Schools) (established in 1874)
Fairfield (Fairfield City Schools) (established 1923?) Homewood (Homewood Public Schools) (established 1970)
Hoover (Hoover City Schools) (established 1987)
Leeds (Leeds City Schools) (established 2003)
Midfield (Midfield City Schools) (established 1970)
Mountain Brook (Mountain Brook School System) (established 1959)
Tarrant (Tarrant City Schools) (established 1930)
Trussville (Trussville City Schools) (established 2005)
Vestavia Hills (Vestavia Hills School System) (established 1970)

During the COVID 19 pandemic in Alabama, the school district required face masks for all of the 2020 2021 school year.

Day to day operations of the system are run by the superintendent. That post is filled by appointment by a majority vote of the County Board of Education and that individual serves at the pleasure of the Board. The most recent superintendent was Dr. Craig Pouncey, who took over in June 2014, following the ouster of Dr. Stephen Nowlin after 16 months in office. On September 11, 2019, it was announced that Dr. Pouncey had accepted the Presidency of Coastal Alabama Community College, effective October 1, 2019 and would leave his post with Jefferson County on September 27. Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, Jr., the Deputy Superintendent became Interim Superintendent on September 27, 2019 and was given the position permanently by the Board in November, 2019, becoming the first African American to be permanent Superintendent. The first Superintendent of Jefferson County was Isaac Wellington McAdory from 1896–1913. In 1868, shortly after The Civil War and long before the County System existed, he and his wife, Alice (Sadler) McAdory, established and ran the Pleasant Hill Academy in McCalla. It was arguably the first education institution in Jefferson County preceding both the Birmingham and Bessemer systems and even predating any colleges or universities in the county. The Pleasant Hill Academy is the forerunner of present day McAdory High School. The first seven superintendents of the system all had schools named in their honor. However, McNeil School no longer exists and Simmons Elementary is now part of the Hoover School System. Issac Wellington McAdory is the only Superintendent who has three separate schools named in his honor which may be more of a coincidence than a deliberate effort. Superintendents Years of ServiceIsaac W. McAdoryStudent Teacher
RatioAvg. ACT ScoreAthleticsCenter Point High SchoolCenter Point84115:186%186AClay Chalkville High SchoolClay1,33318:186%216ACorner High SchoolCorner52116:195%245AFultondale High School (2)Fultondale32211:173%243AGardendale High SchoolGardendale1,09519:190%246AHueytown High SchoolHueytown1,11318:188%226AJefferson County IB SchoolIrondale36317:1100%30 McAdory High SchoolMcCalla97519:192%216AMinor High SchoolAdamsville1,00315:183%206AMortimer Jordan High SchoolKimberly75117:195%245AOak Grove High School (1)Bessemer50113:184%244APinson Valley High SchoolPinson1,02820:183%226APleasant Grove High School (2)Pleasant Grove54815:195%225AShades Valley High SchoolIrondale1,34816:193%226A

(1) Oak Grove is a combined Middle and High School campus containing grades 6–12. (2) Both Pleasant Grove and Fultondale are combined Middle and High School campus containing grades 7–12.

With the passage of years many former schools in the Jefferson County School System completely ceased to exist. This is to be expected in a system that is over 100 years old. Most were established by the County Board of Education, yet some were first established by a local community or were built as "company schools" and ceded to the County System at a later date. Other schools have seen their names changed or been sold or ceded to some of the other municipal systems. This occurs for a variety of reasons some of which are demographic changes, de segregation orders, obsolete facilities, etc. Many of these campuses are gone without a trace and a few have been re purposed to other uses. This list does not include former school buildings at different sites for institutions that still exist under the same name such as Shades Valley High School (2 different campuses); Hueytown High School (3 different campuses); Minor High School (2 campuses), etc. The list does include schools whose names and/or locations have changed such as Berry High School (now Hoover High School) or New Castle High School (now Fultondale High School).

Name of High SchoolLocationYearsAdditional NotesAlliance High SchoolAlliance community(1920 1930)W. A. Berry High Schoolnear City of Hoover, Old Columbiana Road(1959 1988)converted to Berry Middle School (Hoover System), sold to Vestavia Board of Education (2016)Brighton High SchoolCity of Brighton(1941 1989)closed and abandonedE. B. Erwin High SchoolCenter Point(1964 2010)replaced by Center Point High School; was a Middle School from 1957 1964 and again from 2011 presentGilmore Bell Vocational High Schoolpresent day City of HueytownDemolished, vacant and overgrown property at 4933 Bessemer Johns RoadHooper City High Schoolpresent day City of Birmingham(1947 1965)all black schoolJones Valley High SchoolCity of Birmingham(1921 1988)closed, Demolished, site now is Jones Valley Middle School (Birmingham System)New Castle High SchoolCity of Fultondale(1965 1972)renamed Fultondale High School after 1972Robert R. Moton High SchoolCity of Leeds(1948 1970)all black school; closed when system was desegregated; Moton Community Ctr. since 2012Powderly High Schoolpresent day City of Birmingham(1940 1946)all black schoolRosedale High Schoolpresent day City of Homewoodclosed in 1969all black school, closed when system was desegregatedShades Cahaba High Schoolpresent day City of Homewood(1921 1948)building still exists as Shades Cahaba Elementary School (Homewood System)Warrior High SchoolCity of Warrior(1926 2002)closed, building still existsWest Jefferson High SchoolCity of West Jefferson(1923 2000)building still exists, serves as West Jefferson City Hall and community centerWestfield High Schoolpresent day City of Birmingham (Tin Mill Road)(1933 1971)all black school; closed when system desegregated; Demolished 1973; Judge U. W. Clemon is a graduate

NameLocationYearsAdditional NotesAddison Elementary SchoolBessemer (Morgan Rd & Hwy 150)(1914 1980s)all black school, building abandoned but still existsAlley SchoolBirmingham (Elyton community)(1902 1964)ceded to Birmingham after the 1910 municipal consolidationAlliance ElementaryAlliance communityabandoned building still existsDixie Junior High SchoolMinor communityclosed in 1970replaced by Bottenfield Jr. High (1971) and renamed Minor Middle School (2016)Dolomite Elementarysite in present day City of Hueytown (Dolomite neighborhood)Demolished (vacant lot on Pleasant Grove Road)Graysville Junior High SchoolCity of Graysvilleclosed in 1980sbuilding now owned by City of GraysvilleGreenwood SchoolGreenwood community (within City of Bessemer)(5012 Roselyn Rd)(1937 1966)ceded to Bessemer School System in 1966, still operates in Bessemer System, served grades 1 9 through 1959Greenwood Junior High SchoolGreenwood community (1217 School Rd)(1959 1966)since 1966 the building has been Greenwood Elementary of the Jefferson County systemHall Kent Elementarypresent day City of Homewood (west Homewood)(1927 1970)ceded to Homewood School System in 1970Ishkooda ElementaryJohns Elementarynear City of North JohnsKetona ElementaryKetona Junior High Schoolnear Tarrant CityMajestic ElementaryCity of MorrisMcDonald Chapel ElementaryMcNeil Schoolsite in present day City of Bessemer(1923 1989)(grades 1 8), Demolished in 1998, site today is McNeil ParkMineral Springs ElementaryMt. OliveMulga ElementaryPinson School (Old Rock School)4509 Pinson Blvd, Pinson(1921 1980s)building still exists, now is Pinson Public Library as of Jan., 2019)Raimund Elementarypresent day City of BessemerRed Ore ElementaryBessemer(1917 1970s)(all black school) originally built by Woodward Coal CompanyRoosevelt Elementaryformerly A. G. Gaston Elementary School; now in City of Birminghamall black schoolJoseph N. Rutledge Elementarypresent day City of Midfield ceded to Midfield School System after 1970Sandusky Elementaryclosed mid 1980stoday is Sandusky Community CenterShannon Elementarypresent day City of Homewood (Shannon neighborhood)closed in 1970sSylvan Springs ElementaryCity of Sylvan Springsbuilding today serves as a Community Center located on Rock Creek RoadTrafford ElementaryVirginia Mines Schoolsite in present day City of Hueytownclosed 1950s(grades 1 6) Demolished (site is now part of a housing subdivision)Booker T. Washington Elementarypresent day City of Birmingham (Titusville)(1904 2007)(all black school) ceded to Birmingham after 1910 municipal consolidation, Demolished 2007Wenonah SchoolBrownsville community1917 2007(all black school)(grades 1 9); built as a "company owned" school, later ceded to Jefferson County, transferred to B'ham system (1974)Wilkes Schoolpresent day City of Midfield(grades 1 8), ceded to Midfield School System after 1970, building still existsWoodward Jr. High Schoolpresent day City of Birmingham (now St. John Baptist Church)1956 1986(grades 1 8) replaced Dolomite Colored Elementary School, two blocks away from all white Dolomite Elementary SchoolRosa Zinnerman ElementaryCity of Hueytownclosed, abandoned but still exists

Statewide testing ranks the schools in Alabama. Those in the bottom six percent are listed as "failing." As of early 2018, both Center Point and Minor High Schools were included in this category.