Pickens County School District is a public school system located in West-Central Alabama, between Columbus, Mississippi and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is comprised of timbered uplands to the north and rolling plains to the south. The total population of Pickens County is 20,176.Our District is comprised of three high schools, three elementary schools, one Early Childhood Learning Center and the Pickens County College and Career Center. The total student population is 2,450. This includes a population of the following ethnicities: .004% American-Indian, .005% Asian, 58% African American, .009% Multi-Race, .003% Native Hawaiian, and 40% Caucasian. We were awarded District Accreditation in 2017. Over the last several decades, there has been a steady decline in in local business and industry, which has contributed to a decrease in student enrollment. The mobility of students within the District continues to be a constant challenge. We strive to deliver instruction with fidelity to help those students in grades K-12 who are transient. 

The District is geographically small, encompassing a total of 890 square miles. The District's total 2018-2019 budget is $27,941,446.59, which is used to operate all schools. The District office located in Carrollton, Alabama is comprised of Administrative Services, Federal Programs, Student Services, and Support Services including child nutrition, facilities, maintenance and technology, and including Maintenance Technology, The Pickens County College and Career Center is located in downtown Carrollton. Our transportation department is located at another site in Carrollton. The District office has an official boardroom where regular and official meetings of the school board are held. 

The Pickens County Board of Education is one of the largest employers in Pickens County. A community leader in the business world as well as education, the District employs over 360 full and part-time people, thus providing the county with one of its largest payrolls. The District also operates the largest transportation fleet and food service program in the area. In order to successfully manage this school district, our leadership is challenged to adopt effective internal structures and processes, to adopt systems thinking, and to focus on quality improvement throughout the system.

The District's vision is "to provide a positive, safe environment that produces respectful, resourceful, responsible leaders with strong moral values". The mission is "to inspire ethical leader's one child at a time". Both the vision and mission reflect the commitment of the District to every stakeholder. The District vision, mission and core values are communicated and disseminated by the district office to all stakeholders. Every school and department develops goals that are ultimately aligned to the District's goals, based on data from the spring assessment period. These goals, along with the District's core values are communicated through State of the School Meetings (held in each city within the District), PTO/PTA meetings, newsletters, the web site, and other communications. Currently, the District has developed priority goals that are the central focus of its work.

The state is in the second year of the implementation of the Scantron assessment. In reviewing data, areas of notable achievement were in5th grade reading, with a growth of 64%. In the area of math, 3rd grade showed a 50% growth from the previous year. Additional improvements were in third grade math with 59% of students scoring proficient or at the distinguished level. An advantageous program in the District is the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). Our students have achieved national acclaim for its accomplishments.

One area that the District struggled with was having students college and career ready when they graduated from high school. As a result, the District was able to build a college and career center in Carrollton. The Pickens County College and Career Center serves approximately 350 students through direct instruction, dual enrollment or ACCESS. The number of students enrolled in dual enrollment courses has increased from approximately 110 to 130 over the past year. Rather than just preparing students for post-secondary study, high schools must implement an expanding and rigorous curriculum that prepares students for immediate entry into the work force. While some students opt for a diploma with advanced academic endorsements, others choose a diploma with technical endorsements to meet their career goals. The high school diplomas while essential for the student's economic well-being, are no longer "good enough" for work force development in the 21st century.

Inspiring Ethical Leaders...One Child At A Time

To provide a positive, safe environment that produces respectful, resourceful, responsible leaders with strong moral values

·      We believe that all children are equally important.

·      We believe that the family is the child's first and most influential teacher.

·      We believe that effective, motivated, and professional teachers are the key to student success.

·      We believe that the quality of the school environment is critical.

·      We believe that there are many ways to measure student success.

·      We believe that all students can complete high school and be competitive in a global society.

·      We believe that the success of schools is vital to the future of our community.