Bessemer City Schools

Bessemer City School District is a school district in Jefferson County, Alabama first established in 1887. It is the second oldest public school system in the state's most populated county.

Schools

 * J. S. Abrams Elementary (K-5)
 * Charles F. Hard Elementary (K-5; originally founded 1894)
 * Greenwood Elementary (K-5) (founded 1937; operated as a Jefferson County School until 1966 when it was ceded to Bessemer)
 * Jonesboro Elementary (K-5)
 * Westhills Elementary (K-5)
 * New Horizon Alternative
 * Bessemer City Middle (6-8) (opened during 2013–14 school year) (building was previously Jess Lanier High School)
 * Bessemer City High (9-12)
 * Bessemer Center for Technology

Former schools (partial list)

 * Abrams High (closed 1987)
 * Arlington Elementary (built 1910 and served as the first Bessemer High School until 1923; building demolished)
 * Carver High School (all black student body) was located at 600 2nd Avenue North
 * Clarendon High School (circa 1890s until 1910) (then became an Elementary School with the same name)
 * James A. Davis Middle (originally called Clarendon Avenue Elementary; opened 1953, closed 2013; building demolished)
 * Dunbar High School
 * Jess Lanier High School (1970-2010)
 * Roberts School (believed to be the first school in the system, likely built in the late 1880s; served grades 1-12 until construction of Clarendon High School)

Failing schools
Based on the state standardized testing, this system had two schools in the bottom six percent statewide, marking them as "failing."
 * Abrams Elementary School
 * Bessemer City High School