KCS Alternative Learning
Charleston · WV · Kanawha County Schools · Public · K-12 combined
Similar nearby schools
Most similar nearby schools
Ben Franklin Career Center → Carver Career Center → WIN Academy at BVCTC → Hannan Junior/Senior High School → Van Junior/Senior High School → Boone Career And Technical Center → Poca High School → Meadow Bridge Regional School →At a glance
- 1 AP courses offered — Strong
- Dual-enrollment program (college credit while in HS)
- Gifted & talented program
- AP rigor: 52nd percentile nationally
Composed from federal CRDC offerings, and other public data. Full breakdowns below.
How KCS Alternative Learning compares for families
Solid mid-tier academic profile.
- ▸ StatewideAP rigor at the 52nd percentile nationally with 1 AP courses.
- ▸ LocallyWV trails the US average on NAEP 8th-grade math (−9 points). Stronger local schools matter even more.
- ▸ vs Similar SchoolsThe closest comparables nearby: Ben Franklin Career Center, Carver Career Center, WIN Academy at BVCTC and 5 more. See the sidebar to compare side-by-side.
For Parents
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Objective, government-grade data — no school pays us for placement.
Academic rigor
AP + advanced-course offerings
Strong — solid AP program + advanced courses
52nd percentile nationally
Gifted/talented program
Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). CRDC reports what's offered + enrolled — it doesn't collect AP exam pass rates (College Board owns that data and doesn't release it school-level).
SAT / ACT participation
CRDC federal data · 2020-21Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2020-21). Volume — not score — is what's reported here. A higher count means more students at this school are entering the college admissions pipeline. Note: 2020-21 was COVID-disrupted; some districts (especially those that stayed remote longer) report unusually low or zero takers.
Teacher workforce · federal CRDC
Teacher experience & reliability
Source: federal Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC 2017-18 — the most recent vintage that publishes per-school teacher quality fields; the 2020-21 sweep had them suppressed). "Inexperienced" = teachers in their first or second year. "Chronic absence" = teachers absent 10+ days/year.
Your state's public flagship
West Virginia University
The in-state tuition gap is the flagship's biggest draw — most in-state families pay far less than the out-of-state sticker. Average net price after aid runs about $15,634/yr. Admission odds depend on your student's GPA and test scores, not which high school they attend.
Source: IPEDS admissions, tuition & enrollment + College Scorecard net price. Flagship = the state's primary public research university.
Pay for college in West Virginia
West Virginia's public scholarships
West Virginia's PROMISE Scholarship is a straightforward pure-merit award — hit the GPA and test bar and the state covers up to $5,500/yr toward tuition. No income limit.
Pure-merit award up to $5,500/yr — needs a 3.0 GPA (core and overall) plus SAT 1080 / ACT 21. (WV public or private HS grads; full-time first-year enrollment.)
Official program details ↗Eligibility rules change yearly — confirm with the official program before relying on it. Amounts are recent published figures; awards cover tuition/fees, not housing or books unless noted. Verified 2026-06-14.
Chronic absenteeism
Why this matters to enrollment: Chronic absence is the most reliable early indicator that a student will leave a school — either by transferring out, dropping out, or matriculating to a charter or private alternative. At this level, today's absentees become next year's enrollment loss and the year-after's revenue loss.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2020–2021. Rate = students chronically absent ÷ 2021 total enrollment.
Counselor capacity
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Civil Rights Data Collection 2020-2021. Counselor ratio = the school's most recent total enrollment ÷ counselor FTE. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a 250:1 maximum; the US national median across schools with on-staff counselors is roughly 430:1.
Enrollment trend & projection
Total enrollment + grade 12, NCES Common Core of Data (2021–2024).
If the recent trend holds…
At its recent rate of +5.8%/year, projecting from 2024's 134 students:
An extrapolation of the recent trajectory, not a forecast of the school's plans; ignores one-off shocks.
Most similar nearby high schools
The schools most like this one — same type, blended on distance and size — and where their enrollment is heading. These are the schools families here weigh against each other.
| School | Type | Miles | HS enrollment | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Franklin Career Center Dunbar |
Public | 5.0 | — | — |
| Carver Career Center Charleston |
Public | 8.3 | — | — |
| WIN Academy at BVCTC South Charleston |
Public · charter | 2.7 | 34 | — |
| Hannan Junior/Senior High School Ashton |
Public | 25.7 | 128 | -21.0% |
| Van Junior/Senior High School Van |
Public | 28.4 | 90 | -23.1% |
| Boone Career And Technical Center Foster |
Public | 20.7 | — | — |
| Poca High School Poca |
Public | 10.0 | 410 | -7.9% |
| Meadow Bridge Regional School Meadow Bridge |
Public | 56.1 | 119 | — |