Summary:
The Trussville City school district in Alabama is home to three exceptional elementary schools—Paine Elementary School, Cahaba Elementary School, and Magnolia Elementary School—serving grades K-5 (with Paine also offering Pre-K) and ranking among the top 5% of schools statewide.
All three schools are top performers, but each has a distinct strength. Magnolia Elementary is the district's rising star, jumping from 60th to 22nd in state rankings over two years—the most dramatic improvement in the area. Despite having the highest free/reduced lunch rate (23.79%), it now leads the district with the best overall rank and the highest 4th-grade math (83.1%) and science (88.73%) scores. Cahaba Elementary excels in English Language Arts, posting the district's top 4th-grade (93.68%) and 5th-grade (92.05%) reading proficiency rates. Paine Elementary, the largest school with 1,338 students, demonstrates remarkable efficiency—maintaining a 95th-percentile ranking while serving more students than the other two schools combined, with the lowest per-student spending ($10,494) and highest student-teacher ratio (15.5:1).
District-wide, these schools consistently outperform state averages by 20-33 percentage points in every subject and grade level. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low (5.0-5.9% vs. 12% statewide), and Magnolia receives the highest per-student funding ($12,087), which may help explain its rapid ascent. English proficiency is a universal strength (85-93% across all grades), while math shows the largest gap over state averages. Science scores are the most variable year-to-year, with Cahaba and Magnolia both improving by over 12 points in 4th grade. For parents, this district offers a rare combination of choice and excellence—whether you prioritize Magnolia's momentum, Cahaba's literacy focus, or Paine's proven scale, every option delivers outstanding results.
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