Summary:
Parrish, Alabama is served by a single school, Parrish Elementary Middle School, which is part of the Walker County district and educates students in grades PK through 8, with a total enrollment of 288 students.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Parrish Elementary Middle School excels in early-grade academics and attendance, but faces a significant challenge in upper-grade mathematics. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is just 1.8%, compared to 11% for the district and 12% statewide, meaning students are consistently in class. In 3rd grade, 57.58% of students are proficient in math, well above the state average of 44.89%, and English proficiency is strong across all grades, with 4th and 5th graders outperforming state averages. However, math proficiency drops dramatically as students advance, falling to just 4.35% in 7th grade and 13.04% in 8th grade, compared to state averages of 24.46% and 26.36% respectively. This "middle school cliff" is more severe than typical statewide declines and suggests a specific challenge in upper-grade math instruction. Science performance also lags, with 4th grade proficiency at 40.74% versus the state's 50.23%.
The school's state ranking has fluctuated recently, dropping from 176th (4 stars) in 2023-2024 to 318th (3 stars) in 2024-2025, before recovering to 267th (3 stars) in 2025-2026. With 61.5% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a predominantly low-income community, yet achieves above-average results in several early-grade subjects. Per-student spending is robust at $15,603. Given the small cohort sizes (roughly 25-30 students per grade), individual student performance can significantly shift percentages year to year. The school's strong early-grade foundation, exceptional attendance, and recent ranking recovery suggest positive momentum, but targeted interventions in middle school math and 4th grade science could yield substantial improvements.
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