Elementary Schools in Opelika City

The Opelika City school district in Alabama serves approximately 2,583 elementary students across six schools, split between primary schools (grades K-2 or K-3) and intermediate schools (grades 3-5), with the district ranking 81st out of 139 Alabama districts. For parents exploring this area, the most important takeaway is that school performance varies significantly depending on which feeder pattern your child enters, with Northside School clearly standing out as the academic leader among the intermediate schools, ranking 347th in the state and exceeding district averages in every subject and grade level tested. In contrast, West Forest Intermediate consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Alabama schools with a 1-star rating for three consecutive years, and its 3rd-grade math proficiency (25.23%) trails the state average by nearly 20 points.

Looking at the primary schools, Southview Primary stands out for its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.1% — less than half the state average — while Carver Primary has the highest chronic absenteeism (14.1%) and a 91% free/reduced lunch rate, the highest poverty indicator in the district. The data reveals a clear socioeconomic divide: the two schools with the highest poverty rates (Carver Primary at 91.06% and West Forest Intermediate at 91.60%) are also the lowest-performing academically, while the lower-poverty schools like Southview Primary and Northside School show stronger outcomes.

One surprising finding is that spending doesn't correlate with success — Morris Avenue Intermediate spends the most per student ($11,678) yet ranks in the bottom half of Alabama schools, while Northside School spends the second-least ($10,139) and achieves the best results. Across all intermediate schools, English/Language Arts proficiency consistently outpaces math, suggesting a district-wide need for enhanced math instruction. Parents should also note that chronic absenteeism is actually a district strength — five of six schools beat the district average of 13.7% — and that Northside School's 5th-grade math proficiency (49.11%) is 10 points above the state average, making it the single largest positive gap in the dataset.