The city of Sylacauga has been chosen as one of the top 100 communities in which to live
in for the third consecutive year by the America's Promise: The Alliance for Youth and
know as "Alabama's Best Kept Secret." It is located approximately one hour southeast of
Birmingham and an hour north of Montgomery. Sylacauga is situated in the southeast
corner of beautiful Talladega County in the Coosa Valley along the lower extension of the
Appalachian Mountain Range. Intersected by U.S. Highways 280 and 231, the community
is easily accessible. Sylacauga is the home to the world's purest white marble which is
used in many of the national monuments in Washington, DC, home of the famous Hodges
Meteorite, the only meteorite ever known to strike a person, and hometown of worldrenowned
entertainer, Jim Nabors.

The education level of our students is just as diverse as their economic background. We
have students who have traveled the world and those who have never been out of the county.
We have students who enter the system reading proficiently and those who enter as
beginning readers. We have students who graduate from major universities throughout the
United States and students who enter the federal welfare system before they graduate. The
general characteristics of our student population could not be more diverse. Likewise, the
general characteristics of our community closely resemble that of our student population.

The school system is governed by a five member Board of Education whose members are
appointed by the City Council of Sylacauga for staggered five-year terms. This group
formulates the policies that govern the system. The day-to-day operation of the school
system is entrusted to the Superintendent of Schools who is appointed by the Board of
Education. The school system also must comply with regulations of the State Board of
Education, a body of eight elected officials, which oversees state educational policies.
Sylacauga City Schools has enjoyed a long history of excellence in education having been
accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for many years.
The first school to be accredited was SHS in 1947, with NLMS (as East Highland) in 1954,
and IV and PC accredited in 1973. The combined instructional administration in SCS has
146 years as administrators, with 360 total years' experience in education and 274 years' of
experience in SCS. Currently, the total enrollment is 2,364 students with almost half of
those students transported to and from school by buses using 15 different routes.
Sylacauga City Schools currently employs 317 people and contracts with additional
personnel as needed.

The mission of Sylacauga City Schools, a system instilled with a strong educational ethic and community support, is to produce graduates of superior academic and social development which enables them to achieve to the fullest extent of their potential in all of their endeavors.