Chelsea High School

As a high-enrollment high school in Chelsea, Alabama, Chelsea High School enrolls 1,235 students from grades 9 through 12, overseen by Shelby County. Enrollment runs roughly 81% bigger than the state mean of about 682.

Shelby County comprises 29 schools with combined enrollment of 20,638 students; Chelsea High School is among them.

Looking at the student body, Chelsea High School records that the largest single group is White, at 78% of enrollment. The remainder is composed of 11% Black, 6% Hispanic, 2% Asian. Compared to Shelby County overall, the school's racial mix sits in roughly the same range.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Chelsea High School has 73 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 17.0:1. The state averages about 17.2:1, putting this campus right in line with peers. Roughly 23% of students at Chelsea High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Shelby County (around 42%), the school's rate is somewhat below typical.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, On a poverty-adjusted basis, Chelsea High School sits in the bottom 10% statewide. Predicted proficiency from the FRL regression is roughly 66.9%; actual is 49.2%, a gap of -17.6 points.

Around the school, Shelby County reports that median household income runs about $97,961, roughly 47% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 5%. Chelsea High School is one of 48 public schools in Shelby County (combined enrollment of about 35,120 students).

The closest other public school is Chelsea Middle School, roughly 2.6 miles away. Within five miles, there are 7 other public schools. Among the 9 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Chelsea High School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 35.7%.

Geographically, the school is in a rural area.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count stayed largely flat: 1,235 students in 2018 compared to 1,235 in 2025. Over the same period, the White share shrank from 83% to 78%. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 18.9:1 in 2018 to 17.0:1 today.

On this page, members of the Chelsea High School community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.