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Shades Cahaba Elementary School

Public Grades K-5

13^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 98% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Shades Cahaba Elementary School in Homewood, AL, is a top-rated K-5 school serving 507 students in the highly regarded Homewood City district, which ranks in the 96th percentile statewide.

This school delivers exceptional academic results, with proficiency rates that are roughly double the state average in math and significantly higher in English and science. For example, 5th grade English proficiency hits 96.63% compared to the state average of 69.53%, and 4th grade science reaches 89.87%—nearly 40 points above the state. Shades Cahaba currently ranks 13th out of 686 elementary schools in Alabama (98th percentile), a remarkable jump from 62nd place just a few years ago. What truly sets it apart is its success with students from low-income backgrounds: this subgroup now ranks 19th statewide (97th percentile), up from 126th just two years prior. The school also maintains a low chronic absenteeism rate of 4.3% (state average: 12%), and performance stays consistently strong across all grade levels, indicating excellent curriculum alignment. With a student-teacher ratio of 12.6:1, students receive plenty of individual attention.

For context, Shades Cahaba outperforms its district rival Edgewood Elementary School (ranked 16th) and far exceeds Hall Kent Elementary School (ranked 115th). It also holds its own against nearby elite schools like Mountain Brook Elementary School (5th) and Vestavia Hills Elementary East (7th). The contrast with Glen Iris Elementary School in nearby Birmingham City—where proficiency ranges from just 17-54%—highlights significant educational disparities in the region. Shades Cahaba achieves these results while spending slightly less per student ($12,104) than some comparable schools, demonstrating efficient use of resources and a strong model for closing achievement gaps.

507

Students ?

12.6

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,104

Per pupil spending ?

22.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3001 Independence Drive
Homewood, AL 35209

(205) 871-1113

District: Homewood City

Students who attend Shades Cahaba Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Homewood Middle School
High:	Homewood High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

75.5%

African American:

8.9%

Hispanic:

7.5%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Shades Cahaba Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 97th percentile in 2016 → 98th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (87% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 2% of Alabama elementary schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school87%

District avg80%

Alabama avg53%

13^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 2%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 3Elementary Schools in the Homewood City

6^th of 140Homewood 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	96.4	13 of 686	98.1%	★★★★★
2025	93.7	26 of 680	96.2%	★★★★★
2024	94.9	25 of 684	96.3%	★★★★★
2023	94.0	30 of 680	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	88.4	62 of 687	91.0%	★★★★★
2021	89.8	58 of 692	91.6%	★★★★★
2019	91.5	45 of 681	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	93.8	35 of 680	94.9%	★★★★★
2017	95.5	29 of 688	95.8%	★★★★★
2016	96.4	20 of 691	97.1%	★★★★★
2015	96.1	21 of 691	97.0%	★★★★★
2014	95.7	19 of 695	97.3%	★★★★★
2013	83.0	19 of 696	97.3%	★★★★★
2012	75.1	131 of 696	81.2%	★★★★☆
2011	73.5	146 of 709	79.4%	★★★★☆
2010	81.6	56 of 704	92.0%	★★★★★
2009	88.0	21 of 696	97.0%	★★★★★
2008	85.4	33 of 698	95.3%	★★★★★
2007	83.1	62 of 698	91.1%	★★★★★
2006	91.6	13 of 689	98.1%	★★★★★
2005	91.1	19 of 688	97.2%	★★★★★
2004	89.7	34 of 623	94.5%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	61.2	126 of 420	70.0%	★★★★☆
2019	64.0	116 of 426	72.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.8	66 of 423	84.4%	★★★★☆
2017	72.1	60 of 336	82.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	72.7	16 of 110	85.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	96.5	6 of 651	99.1%	★★★★★
2025	94.5	13 of 649	98.0%	★★★★★
2024	96.0	9 of 650	98.6%	★★★★★
2023	95.5	13 of 645	98.0%	★★★★★
2022	90.7	43 of 656	93.4%	★★★★★
2021	87.3	65 of 656	90.1%	★★★★★
2019	92.1	32 of 646	95.0%	★★★★★
2018	95.8	14 of 640	97.8%	★★★★★
2017	96.4	13 of 639	98.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	61.3	54 of 175	69.1%	★★★★☆
2019	54.5	58 of 152	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.5	50 of 140	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	67.6	27 of 130	79.2%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	93.8	19 of 667	97.2%	★★★★★
2025	79.7	80 of 660	87.9%	★★★★☆
2024	75.2	126 of 670	81.2%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	207 of 651	68.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.4	277 of 653	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.1	242 of 649	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	262 of 651	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2017	68.8	130 of 567	77.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	94.3	23 of 659	96.5%	★★★★★
2025	90.4	44 of 651	93.2%	★★★★★
2024	90.8	42 of 655	93.6%	★★★★★
2023	89.1	52 of 649	92.0%	★★★★★
2022	81.8	95 of 669	85.8%	★★★★☆
2021	89.5	58 of 669	91.3%	★★★★★
2019	88.8	53 of 650	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	90.3	50 of 650	92.3%	★★★★★
2017	92.3	35 of 639	94.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	94.7	8 of 501	98.4%	★★★★★
2025	90.6	30 of 532	94.4%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	21 of 535	96.1%	★★★★★
2023	92.2	31 of 528	94.1%	★★★★★
2022	81.1	79 of 540	85.4%	★★★★☆
2021	83.0	71 of 539	86.8%	★★★★☆
2019	88.2	50 of 529	90.5%	★★★★★
2018	94.2	25 of 508	95.1%	★★★★★
2017	96.2	6 of 369	98.4%	★★★★★

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)

Female (2026)99th percentile~ school

White (2026)98th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)97th percentile~ school

Male (2026)97th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2022)85th percentile-6 vs school

African American (2024)70th percentile-26 vs school

Hispanic (2022)69th percentile-22 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English92%+28 vs state

Science90%+40 vs state

Mathematics81%+39 vs state

★

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Schools Near Shades Cahaba 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 Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Shades Cahaba Elementary School	Public	K-5	3001 Independence Drive	Homewood	35209	Jefferson County	Homewood City	No	No	No	No	(205) 871-1113	507	40	12.6	22.1%	383 (75.5%)	45 (8.9%)	38 (7.5%)	15 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.1%)	96.4	13^th of 686 public elementary schools	98.1%		93.7	26^th of 680 public elementary schools	96.2%	13	80.8	79.8	82.0				89.9		93.6	87.2	96.6				$12,104	$980	$11,103
Mountain Brook Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3020 Cambridge Rd	Mountain Brook	35223	Jefferson County	Mountain Brook City	No	No	No	No	(205) 871-8191	551	47	11.7	2.0%	523 (94.9%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.6%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	97.3	5^th of 686 public elementary schools	99.3%		97.6	5^th of 680 public elementary schools	99.3%		91.4	72.1	73.8	80.0			94.1		96.3	94.1	98.8	95.3			$13,933	$289	$13,644
Edgewood Elementary School	Public	K-5	901 College Ave	Homewood	35209	Jefferson County	Homewood City	No	No	No	No	(205) 423-2400	935	67	13.9	12.0%	786 (84.1%)	87 (9.3%)	34 (3.6%)	6 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (2.4%)	95.7	16^th of 686 public elementary schools	97.7%		95.3	13^th of 680 public elementary schools	98.1%	3	75.8	81.6	74.4				81.6		95.4	88.2	98.3				$10,200	$926	$9,252
Glen Iris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1115 11th Street South	Birmingham	35205	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-7440	827	38	21.7	68.4%	16 (1.9%)	502 (60.7%)	273 (33.0%)	20 (2.4%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.4%)	11 (1.3%)	17.1	580^th of 686 public elementary schools	15.5%		13.5	602^nd of 680 public elementary schools	11.5%	22	21.8	17.1	17.9				19.5		52.0	36.1	54.1				$9,950	$1,538	$8,410
EPIC Alternative Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1000 10th Ave S	Birmingham	35205	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-7370	232	18	12.8	41.8%	6 (2.6%)	214 (92.2%)	5 (2.2%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	91.6	40^th of 686 public elementary schools	94.2%		84.3	90^th of 680 public elementary schools	86.8%	50	72.0	70.4	78.8				66.7		88.0	88.9	90.9				$16,113	$4,396	$11,715
Vestavia Hills Elementary East	Public	PK, KG-5	2109 Tyson Dr	Vestavia Hills	35216	Jefferson County	Vestavia Hills City	No	No	No	No	(205) 402-5200	771	44	17.5	7.0%	694 (90.0%)	29 (3.8%)	22 (2.9%)	17 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.2%)	97.1	7^th of 686 public elementary schools	99.0%		94.7	16^th of 680 public elementary schools	97.6%	9	86.3	78.1	91.3				89.8		96.8	90.5	95.2				$11,792	$454	$11,338
Crestline Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3785 Jackson Blvd	Mountain Brook	35213	Jefferson County	Mountain Brook City	No	No	No	No	(205) 871-8126	743	61	12.1	1.7%	708 (95.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (0.8%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (3.1%)	97	8^th of 686 public elementary schools	98.8%		98.3	2^nd of 680 public elementary schools	99.7%	6	74.0	90.8	87.9	89.2			87.2		91.0	95.4	97.4	93.7			$12,269	$167	$12,102
Freedom Prep Academy	Public, Charter	K-5	630 1st Avenue S	Birmingham	35205	Jefferson County	Freedom Prep Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(334) 521-6094	41			68.3%	1 (2.4%)	35 (85.4%)	4 (9.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (2.4%)	7.8	665^th of 686 public elementary schools	3.1%					(n/a)	9.1	12.5					18.8		22.7	37.5
Hall Kent Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	213 Hall Ave	Homewood	35209	Jefferson County	Homewood City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 423-2430	717	56	12.8	36.0%	393 (54.8%)	166 (23.2%)	90 (12.6%)	26 (3.6%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	40 (5.6%)	80.1	115^th of 686 public elementary schools	83.2%		79.2	123^rd of 680 public elementary schools	81.9%	8	63.6	64.2	51.6				69.9		81.0	75.4	71.9				$11,658	$1,159	$10,477
Washington K8	Public	PK, KG-8	115 Fourth Avenue South	Birmingham	35205	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-7740	617	30	20.5	74.6%	6 (1.0%)	385 (62.4%)	217 (35.2%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.1%)	28.8	494^th of 686 public elementary schools	28.0%		39.4	428^th of 680 public elementary schools	37.1%	66	27.3	73.9	22.7	20.3	5.2	6.7	23.9	27.9	50.0	47.8	45.5	30.5	30.7	36.8	$11,393	$2,367	$9,024

Frequently Asked Questions about Shades Cahaba Elementary School

What district is Shades Cahaba Elementary School in?

Homewood City

Is Shades Cahaba Elementary School a good school?

Yes! Shades Cahaba Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 13^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools.

How many students attend Shades Cahaba Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 507 students attended Shades Cahaba Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Shades Cahaba Elementary School?

Students at Shades Cahaba Elementary School are 76% White, 9% African American, 7% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Shades Cahaba Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Shades Cahaba Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Homewood Middle School
High : Homewood High School

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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.