Summary:
The city of Gardendale, Alabama, is served by four public schools within the Jefferson County district, educating roughly 2,900 students across two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. While the district itself ranks in the 27th percentile statewide, individual schools show a wide range of performance, with the strongest academics found in the younger grades and a notable decline by high school.
For parents, the standout is Bragg Middle School, which earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 77th percentile among Alabama middle schools. Despite having the highest poverty rate in the city (45.8% free/reduced lunch), Bragg posts exceptional 8th-grade science scores (74% proficient, nearly double the district average) and strong English results across all grades. The two elementary schools—Gardendale Elementary and Snow Rogers Elementary—are also solid, both earning 3 stars and outperforming district averages in most subjects. Gardendale Elementary shines in 5th-grade English (75% proficient) and has very low chronic absenteeism (8.3%), while Snow Rogers offers the smallest class sizes (15.9:1 student-teacher ratio) and the highest per-student spending ($9,888).
The major concern is Gardendale High School, which drops to a 1-star rating with a 27th percentile ranking. The school struggles with a 27.2% chronic absenteeism rate—more than double the state average—and math proficiency fell sharply from 23% to 15% in one year. There is a clear academic cliff between Bragg Middle and the high school, with 8th-grade math proficiency (36%) dropping to 23% by 11th grade. On a positive note, the high school maintains a strong 95.6% graduation rate. Overall, Gardendale families can expect excellent elementary and middle school options, but should be aware of the attendance and achievement challenges that emerge at the high school level.
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