Dothan City Schools is committed to providing quality instructional programs that promote knowledge and skills and build life and career characteristics in our students. Our schools are designed to create well-rounded students by challenging them with opportunities that help meet their needs, nurture their talents, interests, and aptitudes and expose them to new experiences.  

Located in Southeast Alabama, Dothan City Schools serves more than 8,000 Pre-Kindergarten through 12th-grade students throughout Dothan, Alabama. Nineteen schools comprise the district, including 2 Pre-Kindergarten centers, 11 elementary schools including one special admission math and science school, one middle school that serves grades 7-8, one 9th grade academy, one virtual school for grades 7-12, and one high school that serves grades 10-12, and two program sites dedicated to specialty education: one for students receiving alternative education and a career-technical education facility for grades 10-12. Each program seeks to develop engaging and meaningful opportunities for students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. 

Traditionally, children are assigned to a public school according to where they live. Dothan City Schools allow families to select the school that is most suited for their child. All students who live within the Dothan City Schools attendance zone are eligible to attend other schools within DCS, and admission is based on successful completion of the application process as well as program availability and capacity. Once students are accepted, they enroll in the host school of the program. Transportation is not provided to students attending a school outside of their zoned school.

Kelly Springs Elementary, Hidden Lake Primary, and  Beverlye Intermediate are A+ Arts schools that integrate the arts, including dance, drama, music, creative writing, and visual arts, into all subjects.

Some examples of the work going on in A+ Arts schools include partnerships with the Wiregrass Museum of Art and Patti Rutland Jazz Company to provide hands-on arts training experiences. At Highlands Elementary School, a multiple intelligences team is working with classroom teachers to support the integration of the arts in all content areas.

Highlands Elementary, Heard Elementary, Selma Street Elementary, and Morris Slingluff Elementary use hands-on, project-based lessons to engage students in work that is challenging, adventurous, and meaningful.

A few examples of the kind of activities provided include growing participation in community and charitable projects at Morris Slingluff Elementary School and a trip to Fort Toulouse to see living history exhibits by Highlands Elementary School students.

Girard Primary School and  Girard Intermediate School lead the way in developing our students through hands-on approaches to learning. Girard Primary has the most LETRS credentialed educators in the district.

Jerry Lee Faine Elementary incorporates science, technology, engineering, and math into all areas of learning. These schools heavily emphasize project-based, group learning. At Faine, students have state-of-the-art PITSCO STEM labs and also have opportunities to use 3-D printers and to learn to code. 

Carver School is the system’s Math, Science, and Technology School and heavily emphasizes investigation and discovery and seeks to prepare students for STEM-related college and career pathways. It retains a competitive admission policy, where students are accepted based on test scores.

Some examples of the work going on at Carver include a project by fourth-graders at Carver to use circuit testers to find hidden circuits, as well as a dedicated lab space that provides weekly lab instruction to students.

Our Secondary Schools aim to create cultures of academic expectations for all students, teachers, and administrators. Our schools develop a diverse pipeline of students prepared for rigorous high school coursework and promote Advanced Placement courses so that more Alabama graduates will be prepared for college, the workforce, and life. Dothan Preparatory Academy serves our Grades 7th through 8th, Carver 9th Grade Academy serves our 9th Grade and Dothan High School serves our 10th through 12th Grade.

Dothan City Virtual School provides a flexible and engaging virtual learning experience for motivated, independent learners in Grades 7-12. DCVS offers students numerous benefits in terms of time flexibility student-centered courses, and program customization. Students may also participate in specialized courses at Dothan Tech or other DCS schools. It is through these unique learning opportunities that students of DCVS will connect with the future! 

First Class Pre-Kindergarten is offered through Dothan City Early Education Center for children zoned for Dothan City Schools. Dothan City & Houston County Head Start Center provides services to Dothan City Schools as well as Houston County Schools with site locations in Webb, Cottonwood, Ashford, and Rehobeth. Interested in more information about Dothan City Schools Dothan City Early Education Center or Dothan City & Houston County Head Start Center? Please click here

Dothan City Schools is accredited by Cognia™, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers.