Five Birmingham Schools Rank Poorly for Graduation Rates

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Five high schools in the Birmingham city school system are among the lowest in graduation rates in the state, according to information fro the Alabama Department of Education. The state DOE's 2016 graduation data shows Wenonah, Jackson Olin, Parker, Woodlawn and Carver high schools all are in the bottom 25 for graduation rates in the state.

Education and education funding has been a hot topic as Birmingham's municipal elections near. Candidates for mayor and city council seats have all acknowledged problems in the city's public schools, citing crime rates, poverty and lack of funding as main culprits. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

The state's total graduation rate was at 87.1 percent. Those five Birmingham schools among the 25 lowest all had graduation rates below 80 percent:

Wenonah High School: 77.1 percent

Jackson-Olin High School: 76.7 percent

G.W. Carver High School: 75.2 percent

Parker High School: 86.8 percent

Woodlawn High School: 67.8 percent

The complete list for all Alabama high schools can be found here.

(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)