Elementary Schools in Franklin County

Franklin County, Alabama is home to three elementary schools—Tharptown Elementary School, Phil Campbell Elementary School, and Red Bay Elementary—which together serve students in grades PK-6 across a rural district that ranks in the middle of the state pack.

For parents, the standout choice is Red Bay Elementary, which ranks highest at the 66th percentile statewide and has the lowest economic disadvantage rate (41% free/reduced lunch). It consistently exceeds state averages in math across most grade levels, though it does have the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 13.4%—a paradox worth noting. Phil Campbell Elementary is the district's rising star, climbing from the 45th to 66th percentile in just two years. It boasts the best attendance (5.8% chronic absenteeism) and exceptional 6th grade math scores (63% proficient vs. 35% statewide), all while serving a more disadvantaged population than Red Bay. Tharptown Elementary School is the area of concern, ranking at just the 30th percentile with the highest poverty rate (66.5%) and a troubling 4th grade math proficiency of only 16.7%—a dramatic 41-point drop from the prior year that warrants investigation.

Key takeaways: Tharptown actually spends more per student ($9,738) than Phil Campbell ($8,612), yet Phil Campbell outperforms it, suggesting resource allocation isn't the sole driver of success. All three schools perform near the state average in 4th grade science, a relative bright spot. The Franklin County district's "average" ranking masks a wide gap between its two strong schools and Tharptown. Parents should also be aware that year-to-year test scores fluctuate significantly due to small class sizes, so multi-year trends matter more than any single year's results.