Elementary Schools in Huntsville City

The Huntsville City school district includes 26 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th or 6th, with enrollments ranging from 167 students at Chapman Elementary to 1,152 students at Providence Elementary.

This district offers a dramatic range of educational experiences. At the top, Monte Sano Elementary and Hampton Cove Elementary rank in the 97th percentile statewide with 5-star ratings, showing exceptional proficiency in math and English that often runs 40-50 points above state averages. Goldsmith-Schiffman Elementary and Mountain Gap Elementary also earn 5-star ratings. In stark contrast, Martin Luther King Junior Elementary ranks in the 1st percentile, with proficiency rates below 20% in nearly every subject. McDonnell Elementary and Highlands Elementary also sit near the bottom statewide. The district's 2-star overall rating masks this extreme disparity, which spans a 96-percentile gap between its best and worst schools.

Several patterns stand out for parents. Chronic absenteeism strongly tracks with performance: top schools like Hampton Cove (2.2%) and Monte Sano (2.7%) have rates below 3%, while struggling schools like Sonnie Hereford Elementary (16.0%) and Rolling Hills Elementary (15.5%) exceed 15%. Spending does not predict success—Montview Elementary spends the most per student ($13,217) yet ranks in the bottom 21%, while Goldsmith-Schiffman spends the least ($6,660) and ranks in the top 9%. English proficiency consistently outpaces math across nearly all schools, and several schools show declining performance as students advance through grade levels. The Academy For Science Foreign Language stands out as a magnet school achieving strong results despite moderate poverty levels, demonstrating that specialized programs can succeed in diverse circumstances.