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Harlan Elementary School

Q: Is Harlan Elementary School a good school?

Harlan Elementary School ranks 396 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-6

396^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 42% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Harlan Elementary School in Florence, AL, serves 426 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade and is part of the Florence City school district, which ranks in the top half of Alabama districts.

Harlan Elementary stands out for its commitment to smaller class sizes, with a student-teacher ratio of 11.7:1—the lowest among nearby schools like Weeden Elementary (15.1:1) and Underwood Elementary (15.7:1). The school has also made impressive strides in getting students to school consistently, cutting chronic absenteeism from 30.5% in 2022-2023 to just 13.9% in 2024-2025—now below the district average. Academically, English Language Arts is a clear strength, with proficiency rates ranging from 52% to 66% across grades, significantly outpacing math scores. The school also shows notable effectiveness with its African American students, who rank in the 65th percentile statewide—well above the school's overall ranking. After dipping during the pandemic years, the school has recovered to a stable 2-star rating, which is respectable given that nearly 85% of students come from low-income households.

There are areas that need attention. Math performance varies widely by grade level—from 20% proficiency in 4th grade to 45% in 5th grade—suggesting inconsistencies in instruction or curriculum. Science proficiency (33%) lags significantly behind both the district (43%) and state (50%) averages. Support for special education students has also declined notably over the past two years. The contrast with Kilby Laboratory School, located just 1.77 miles away, is stark—Kilby serves a much wealthier population and ranks in the 98th percentile. However, compared to Weeden Elementary, which has similar poverty levels, Harlan has room to grow. The school spends more per student ($13,932) than several higher-performing nearby schools, raising questions about whether resources are being optimized for the best outcomes.

426

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,932

Per pupil spending ?

84.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2233 McBurney Dr
Florence, AL 35630-1299

(256) 768-2700

District: Florence City

Students who attend Harlan Elementary School usually attend:

Elementary:	Hibbett Elementary School
Middle:	Florence Middle School
High:	Florence High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

46.0%

White:

28.2%

Two or more races:

20.7%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Harlan Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 39th percentile in 2014 → 42nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Science scores 17 pts below the Alabama average

!Near the bottom of Florence City's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg57%

Alabama avg51%

396^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 42%▲ up 11 pts since 2018

From bottom 31% (2018) to bottom 42% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Elementary Schools in the Florence City

45^th of 140Florence City among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	45.1	396 of 686	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.2	390 of 680	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.7	376 of 684	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	388 of 680	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	22.2	530 of 687	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	21.9	536 of 692	22.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.8	387 of 681	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.0	468 of 680	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	33.2	480 of 691	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2014	42.9	425 of 695	38.8%	★★☆☆☆
2013	67.9	212 of 696	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2012	79.2	69 of 696	90.1%	★★★★★
2011	62.0	299 of 709	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2010	76.0	115 of 704	83.7%	★★★★☆
2009	62.6	255 of 696	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2008	65.3	232 of 698	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	61.1	285 of 698	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2006	63.5	228 of 689	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2005	52.7	339 of 688	50.7%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	56.6	152 of 428	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.1	193 of 427	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.3	113 of 420	73.1%	★★★★☆
2023	62.0	115 of 427	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	45.1	208 of 426	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.7	202 of 426	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.3	117 of 426	72.5%	★★★★☆
2018	49.8	206 of 423	51.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	44.1	386 of 651	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.6	378 of 649	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	364 of 650	44.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.8	283 of 645	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	18.5	538 of 656	18.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.9	493 of 656	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.7	397 of 646	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.4	410 of 640	35.9%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	47.8	367 of 667	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	55.1	282 of 660	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.9	336 of 670	49.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	57.7	256 of 623	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	32.5	456 of 651	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	29.7	466 of 653	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.4	322 of 649	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.6	369 of 651	43.3%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	44.2	383 of 659	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	365 of 651	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.1	372 of 655	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.4	457 of 649	29.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.1	486 of 669	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.6	506 of 669	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	45.9	368 of 650	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	26.6	488 of 650	24.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	43.3	110 of 193	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.1	71 of 97	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	29.4	63 of 82	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	27.3	58 of 70	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.8	62 of 64	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	31.9	282 of 403	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	45.9	194 of 403	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	150 of 395	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.4	254 of 373	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	20.1	313 of 345	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.5	324 of 398	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.7	157 of 392	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	28.7	253 of 344	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	317 of 501	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	61.2	194 of 532	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.8	282 of 535	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.9	333 of 528	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	15.1	501 of 540	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.6	506 of 539	6.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	58.0	191 of 529	63.9%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

African American (2026)64th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)45th percentile+3 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)43rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Female (2026)41st percentile~ school

White (2026)37th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)30th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English58%-5 vs state

Mathematics40%~ state avg

Science33%-17 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a citizen
Friday, July 2, 2010

Harlan is a wonderful school with caring, very qualified teachers and a very active and supportive principal,Dr. Coker, who loves the school and cares about the children in so many ways. She expects a lot from the teachers and the students. Therefore, the school indicates this in test scores and in behavior of the children and by her and the Harlan hiring committee's choice of teachers who work there. I have had grandchildren to attend there in times past under a different principal who was also a wonderful principal and they have achieved so much in their lives which began with being educated in their early elementary years at Harlan. They went on to college and one is still at UNA. The other has finished her masters and is in a fellowship program with the government. Close Quote

Schools Near Harlan Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)				Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Harlan Elementary School	Public	K-6	2233 McBurney Dr	Florence	35630	Lauderdale County	Florence City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 768-2700	426	36	11.7	84.7%	120 (28.2%)	196 (46.0%)	19 (4.5%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	88 (20.7%)	45.1	396^th of 686 public elementary schools	42.3%		45.2	390^th of 680 public elementary schools	42.6%	6	32.4	20.0	44.8	62.2	32.9	52.1	55.3	65.7	57.8	$13,932	$2,610	$11,298
Hibbett Elementary School	Public	K-6	1601 Appleby Blvd	Florence	35630	Lauderdale County	Florence City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 768-2800	489	37	13.3	70.8%	184 (37.6%)	157 (32.1%)	79 (16.2%)	8 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (12.5%)	32.6	474^th of 686 public elementary schools	30.9%					(n/a)	37.5	25.9	22.2	47.6	17.9	53.7	35.7	52.8	57.1	$9,663	$1,495	$8,145
Forest Hills Elementary School	Public	K-6	101 Stovall Dr	Florence	35633	Lauderdale County	Florence City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 768-2500	906	63	14.3	46.6%	596 (65.8%)	151 (16.7%)	56 (6.2%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (10.9%)	78.2	132^nd of 686 public elementary schools	80.8%		80.4	116^th of 680 public elementary schools	82.9%	16	63.2	52.9	63.4	48.1	55.8	79.0	68.8	81.3	71.5	$10,545	$1,336	$9,186
Kilby Laboratory School	Public	PK, KG-6	611 N Pine St	Florence	35632	Lauderdale County	Florence City	No	No	No	No	(256) 765-4303	187			11.2%	141 (75.4%)	22 (11.8%)	4 (2.1%)	6 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (7.5%)	95.6	17^th of 686 public elementary schools	97.5%		95.3	12^th of 680 public elementary schools	98.2%	5	94.4	80.0	84.2	54.6	90.0	94.4	95.0	89.5	90.9
Weeden Elementary School	Public	K-6	400 Baldwin St	Florence	35630	Lauderdale County	Florence City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 768-2900	477	32	15.1	84.3%	96 (20.1%)	144 (30.2%)	190 (39.8%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	45 (9.4%)	56.4	302^nd of 686 public elementary schools	56.0%		50.6	351^st of 680 public elementary schools	48.4%	49	62.0	46.3	46.0	50.8	27.9	61.1	55.9	61.3	63.6	$14,455	$2,668	$11,763
Underwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4725 Highway 157	Florence	35633	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 764-8939	343	22	15.7	46.9%	310 (90.4%)	13 (3.8%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.5%)	67.4	219^th of 686 public elementary schools	68.1%		66.1	223^rd of 680 public elementary schools	67.2%	4	70.0	61.5	46.7	18.2	64.1	84.0	61.5	73.3	54.6	$10,792	$1,963	$8,818
L E Willson Elementary School	Public	3-6	2200 31st St	Sheffield	35660	Colbert County	Sheffield City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 386-5730	253	18	14.4	78.3%	116 (45.8%)	85 (33.6%)	20 (7.9%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (11.9%)	34.3	463^rd of 686 public elementary schools	32.5%		23.6	516^th of 680 public elementary schools	24.1%	53	30.4	25.8	32.0	41.7	27.3	62.3	43.9	52.0	50.0	$10,053	$2,090	$7,960
WA Threadgill Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	900 Annapolis Avenue	Sheffield	35660	Colbert County	Sheffield City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 386-5720	344	24	14.6	69.8%	167 (48.5%)	106 (30.8%)	27 (7.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.2%)								(n/a)										$11,366	$2,150	$9,213
Webster Elementary School	Public	1-2	200 Webster Ave	Muscle Shoals	35661	Colbert County	Muscle Shoals City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 389-2650	234	14	16.4	40.6%	149 (63.7%)	46 (19.7%)	15 (6.4%)	6 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.7%)								(n/a)										$13,378	$1,268	$12,075
McBride Elementary School	Public	3-5	1400 Avalon Ave	Muscle Shoals	35661	Colbert County	Muscle Shoals City	No	No	No	No	(256) 389-2610	647	37	17.3	34.2%	447 (69.1%)	87 (13.4%)	55 (8.5%)	22 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.4%)	88.3	66^th of 686 public elementary schools	90.4%		89	55^th of 680 public elementary schools	91.9%	11	84.9	63.6	62.2		71.9	88.1	72.4	86.0		$8,031	$197	$7,800

Frequently Asked Questions about Harlan Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Harlan Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Harlan Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Elementary : Hibbett Elementary School
Middle : Florence Middle School
High : Florence High School

What is the racial makeup of Harlan Elementary School?

Students at Harlan Elementary School are 46% African American, 28% White, 21% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Is Harlan Elementary School a good school?

Harlan Elementary School ranks 396^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Harlan Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 426 students attended Harlan Elementary School.

What district is Harlan Elementary School in?

Florence City

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.