We welcomed just under 3,200 students back to school this month. We want to thank our students, families and employees for an incredibly smooth start to the 2026-2027 school year. |
During the first week of August, we welcomed our newest employees to Cullman City Schools, including those who joined the school system during the previous school year. Over the course of several days, our new team members learned more about our school system’s expectations, completed required training, and gained a deeper understanding of our mission and commitment to students.
They also had the opportunity to meet school administrators, Board of Education members, and community stakeholders who play an important role in supporting our schools. It was a great opportunity to welcome our newest employees and help them begin their journey as members of the Cullman City Schools family.
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Recently released results from the Alabama State Department of Education show that Cullman City Schools continues to rank among the highest-performing school systems in Alabama based on the 2025–26 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) results.
Across all three major academic areas, Cullman City Schools ranked among the top 10 school systems in Alabama:
English Language Arts: 83.5% of Cullman City students scored proficient or advanced, ranking the school system fourth in Alabama.
Mathematics: 62.5% of students scored proficient or advanced, ranking Cullman City ninth in Alabama.
Science: 75.6% of students scored proficient or advanced, ranking Cullman City fifth in Alabama.
These results reflect the hard work and commitment of our students, teachers, administrators, and families and reinforce our commitment to providing every Cullman City student with an exceptional education.
Read The Cullman Tribune article here.
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The Class of 2027 has given us another reason to celebrate, recording the highest average composite ACT score in the past seven years. Even more impressive, this class achieved the highest average scores in English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science during that same period.
Compared to their pre-ACT performance, the Class of 2027 demonstrated remarkable academic growth in every tested area:
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Composite: 21.56 — an increase of 2.85 points
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English: 21.75 — an increase of 4.82 points
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Reading: 22.66 — an increase of 2.79 points
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Mathematics: 20.30 — an increase of 1.52 points
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Science: 21.07 — an increase of 2.31 points
These 237 seniors are a special group, and we are incredibly proud of their accomplishments. Their hard work, determination, and growth are a testament to their commitment to excellence and the support of their teachers and families. We have no doubt this outstanding class will go on to make a tremendous positive impact in our community, state, and nation.
Read The Cullman Tribune article here.
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U.S. News & World Report recently released its rankings of the top 25 high schools in Alabama, and Cullman High School earned the No. 17 spot. This represents a six-position improvement over the school’s 2025 ranking.
We are proud to see Cullman High School continue to climb the rankings and gain recognition for the outstanding academic opportunities and results of our students, teachers, and staff.
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The new facility provides cutting-edge space for STEM programs, cybersecurity, health science, educators and training, computer science and marketing classrooms. The project also includes 3,900 square feet of dedicated space (on the lower level) for modern manufacturing, as well as 150 additional parking spaces for students and staff.
Read The Cullman Tribune article here.
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On a sunny Tuesday morning, August 11th, Cullman Middle School welcomed 231 sixth-grade students back to the campus for the first time in more than 20 years.
Throughout the summer, contractors worked diligently to renovate classrooms in the original CMS building in preparation for the historic return of sixth grade from East and West Elementary Schools. In the final week before school began, our sixth-grade teachers put in long hours preparing their classrooms and making sure everything was ready to welcome students back to Cullman Middle School.
It was a special day for our students, teachers, and community and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cullman Middle School.
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Extensive classroom renovations took place at West Elementary School this summer. Contractors worked throughout the summer to complete the renovations just in time to welcome students back for the final year of West Elementary School. Next year, East and West Elementary Schools will combine to form Cullman Intermediate School, marking another exciting milestone for our school system.
At the new Cullman Intermediate School campus, construction continues with an anticipated mid-school-year completion. Recent milestones include the activation of the air-conditioning system on the first floor of the new building and the new gymnasium/storm shelter. One of the next major milestones will be the completion of the new gymnasium, which will be available for our West Elementary students to use throughout this school year.
The new playground in the Smith Center area of the West Elementary campus is also nearing completion. We look forward to celebrating this addition with another ribbon-cutting ceremony in the near future.
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With the recent passing of the CHOOSE Act, it is important to remember why the Cullman City School System remains the best choice for the best education! Here are five quick reminders… |
In May of 2019, the Alabama Literacy Act was enacted. The Alabama Literacy Act was established to improve the reading proficiency of public school kindergarten through 3rd grade students and ensure that those students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of the 3rd grade. One requirement is for 3rd grade students who are not reading at grade-level, as indicated on the ACAP, to be retained in third grade.
Throughout the school year, teachers will provide parents feedback on how their children are progressing in reading using benchmark tools like DIBELS and iReady. Third grade students who do not meet the score on ACAP will be required to attend a mandatory summer reading camp in June. At the conclusion of the reading camp the identified students will have one more opportunity to take the ACAP and show that they are reading at a third grade level or above.
The third grade teachers at both East and West are very strong and receive tremendous support, however it is going to take a team (teacher, parent and student) to reach the 100% threshold.
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Below are some of the highlights from the six broad areas of the Cullman City Board of Education's Strategic Plan and Strategic Commitments. The entire plan is located on the school system website ( https://www.cullmancats.net).
1.Student Support and Safety
- Safe learning environments
- Access to related services
- Increase modes of communication
2.Technology
- Enhancing devices and connectivity
- Safe and secure networks
- Professional development and support
3.Curriculum and Assessment
- Rigor, critical thinking, and creativity
- Alignment of assessments intended outcomes
- More academic and extracurricular opportunities
4.Employees
- Consistent expectations from campus to campus
- Continuous training on 21st century transferable skills
- Seek the best educators
5.Finance and Resources
- Financial transparency
- Increase community and industry partnerships
- Budget for the Board’s vision
6.Facilities
- Clean learning environments on all campuses
- Plan for comprehensive Cullman Intermediate School (3-5)
- Expand preschool programs
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Our Tech Department has been hard at work behind the scenes all summer long, upgrading systems, enhancing security, and prepping equipment to ensure our students and staff have a seamless, top-tier start to the school year! Here are a few important updates to keep you connected and ready to go.
Streamline Your ParentSquare Alerts Is your phone constantly buzzing with updates from ParentSquare? You don’t have to receive every single notification instantly. Switch your settings to Digest to get one organized daily summary instead.
How to update your settings:
- Log in at parentsquare.com or open the mobile app
- Go to Account
- Click Notifications
- Select Digest for your email, text, or app preferences
One setting. One daily recap. That’s it!
(Note: School alerts and urgent emergency communications will still bypass Digest settings to reach you immediately.)
Check out this quick walkthrough to change your setting in the app:
Chromebook Support Hours for CMS & CHS Students To keep learning running smoothly, on-campus technicians are available for quick Chromebook repairs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
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Cullman Middle School: Lunchroom 7:20-7:45
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Cullman High School: Upstairs by the elevator near Tillman Hall @ 7:45
Encourage your student to drop off any malfunctioning devices early on repair mornings so our team can get them fixed and back in business!
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Full financial statements can be found on the Cullman City Schools website by clicking here.
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The month of June is 1) 75% into the fiscal year. Revenues were at 2) 80% while
expenditures were at 3) 72.5%. Our total net operations were 4) $2.4 M. Total assets were 5) $14.2 M. We ended the month with a fund balance of 6) $14.2 M which brings us to 7) 3.99 months of reserves.
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As the school year begins, we ask our parents and community members to help us keep our students and employees safe. Please be mindful of increased school traffic and children walking to and around our campuses. Allow yourself extra travel time, slow down in school zones and remain focused while driving. If you are in a school car line, please stay off your cell phone so your full attention is on the students, staff and other vehicles around you.
The continued support of our families, stakeholders and community is one of the many reasons the Cullman City School System continues to be recognized as one of Alabama’s top-tier school systems. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every student has a safe, successful and rewarding school year.
Go Bearcats!
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Kyle Kallhoff, Superintendent
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