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Roger B Chaffee Elementary School

Q: Is Roger B Chaffee Elementary School a good school?

Roger B Chaffee Elementary School ranks 327 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

327^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 52% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Roger B Chaffee Elementary School is a mid-sized public school in Huntsville, AL, serving 396 students in grades PK through 5 within the Huntsville City district. The school holds a 3-star rating and ranks in the 52nd percentile statewide, placing it solidly in the middle of Alabama elementary schools.

The most impressive story at Chaffee is its dramatic turnaround in attendance. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from 15.9% in 2022-2023 to just 4.1% today—a 74% reduction that puts the school well below both the district average (8.2%) and state average (12.0%). This is among the best attendance rates in the area, rivaling nearby Weatherly Heights Elementary School (1.7%) and Whitesburg Elementary School (1.5%). Academically, Chaffee shows clear pockets of excellence. Fourth-grade math is a standout, with 51.56% proficiency—beating the district by 12.5 points and even outperforming higher-ranked neighbors like Blossomwood Elementary School (35.87%) and Challenger Elementary School (48.78%). Science scores also consistently exceed district averages, with 59.38% of 4th graders proficient versus 47.81% district-wide.

However, the school faces notable challenges. Performance with students from low-income backgrounds ranks in the 30th percentile (1 star), a concern given that nearly half the student body qualifies for free or reduced lunch. There's also a persistent gender gap, with boys outperforming girls by 11-20 percentile points for three straight years. Chaffee sits in a cluster of schools with vastly different outcomes—just 2.5 miles away, Mountain Gap Elementary School ranks in the 92nd percentile, while McDonnell Elementary School and Ridgecrest Elementary School lag behind. The school also spends more per student ($9,722) than any nearby school, including GoldsmithSchiffman Elementary ($6,660), which achieves 91st percentile results. For parents, Chaffee offers a dedicated community that has proven it can solve tough problems like absenteeism—now the question is whether that same focus can lift academic outcomes across all student groups.

396

Students ?

16.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,722

Per pupil spending ?

46%

Free/discounted lunch ?

7900 Whittier Road SW
Huntsville, AL 35802

(256) 428-7040

District: Huntsville City

Students who attend Roger B Chaffee Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Whitesburg Middle School
High:	Virgil Grissom High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

45.2%

Hispanic:

31.1%

African American:

16.7%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Roger B Chaffee Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 80th percentile in 2016 → 52nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Above the Alabama median (52nd percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school53%

District avg49%

Alabama avg53%

327^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 48%▼ down 28 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 48% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 23Elementary Schools in the Huntsville City

78^th of 140Huntsville 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	53.9	327 of 686	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.6	328 of 680	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.0	399 of 684	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.7	321 of 680	52.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.2	277 of 687	59.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	70.1	187 of 692	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	76.6	124 of 681	81.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.6	175 of 680	74.3%	★★★★☆
2017	66.5	206 of 688	70.1%	★★★★☆
2016	76.3	137 of 691	80.2%	★★★★☆
2015	92.5	45 of 691	93.5%	★★★★★
2014	88.0	58 of 695	91.7%	★★★★★
2013	59.4	327 of 696	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	66.4	238 of 696	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2011	51.1	422 of 709	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2010	56.2	350 of 704	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2009	72.1	150 of 696	78.4%	★★★★☆
2008	54.6	330 of 698	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	59.5	305 of 698	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2006	85.2	47 of 689	93.2%	★★★★★
2005	86.1	47 of 688	93.2%	★★★★★
2004	91.1	26 of 623	95.8%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	49.3	189 of 428	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.0	201 of 420	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.9	332 of 427	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	60.1	133 of 426	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	166 of 426	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	86.1	35 of 426	91.8%	★★★★★
2018	85.7	39 of 423	90.8%	★★★★★
2017	64.2	79 of 336	76.5%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	22.4	122 of 143	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	42.5	77 of 142	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.1	131 of 131	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	110 of 123	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	15.8	109 of 110	0.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	26.3	85 of 100	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	49.6	30 of 74	59.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	48.0	357 of 651	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.7	339 of 649	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	35.2	441 of 650	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	56.7	271 of 645	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.8	229 of 656	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	73.6	135 of 656	79.4%	★★★★☆
2019	78.2	104 of 646	83.9%	★★★★☆
2018	80.3	102 of 640	84.1%	★★★★☆
2017	60.1	236 of 639	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	171 of 206	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.7	179 of 196	8.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	26.9	144 of 184	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	16.0	163 of 175	6.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	31.5	119 of 164	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	51.1	63 of 152	58.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	63.3	38 of 140	72.9%	★★★★☆
2017	68.7	26 of 130	80.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	33.8	469 of 667	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.5	459 of 660	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.9	532 of 670	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	493 of 623	20.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	25.6	503 of 651	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	52.6	312 of 653	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	250 of 649	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	287 of 651	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.8	237 of 567	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	57.3	287 of 659	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.7	292 of 651	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.6	315 of 655	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.5	338 of 649	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.8	323 of 669	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.6	239 of 669	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.3	170 of 650	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	62.2	250 of 650	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2017	69.4	163 of 639	74.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	18.4	166 of 193	14.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	83.5	4 of 54	92.6%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	48.9	176 of 403	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.7	122 of 395	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	69 of 373	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	62.6	89 of 345	74.2%	★★★★☆
2021	30.0	300 of 398	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	71.7	71 of 392	81.9%	★★★★☆
2018	37.6	210 of 344	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	46.6	133 of 280	52.5%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	109 of 501	78.2%	★★★★☆
2025	49.3	280 of 532	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.7	313 of 535	41.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	53.5	237 of 528	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.8	267 of 540	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	48.3	258 of 539	52.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.2	183 of 529	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.8	91 of 508	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	63.7	119 of 369	67.8%	★★★☆☆

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)

White (2026)78th percentile+26 vs school

Male (2026)56th percentile+4 vs school

Special Education (2025)56th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2026)56th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)30th percentile-23 vs school

Hispanic (2025)17th percentile-35 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)15th percentile-38 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)14th percentile-38 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English62%~ state avg

Science59%+9 vs state

Mathematics41%~ state avg

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, April 11, 2014

Everyone encountered - from the school nurse to the principal - has been genuinely caring and concerned about the education and well-being of my child. There is great leadership at Chaffee! Close Quote

Schools Near Roger B Chaffee 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
Roger B Chaffee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	7900 Whittier Road SW	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7040	396	25	16.0	46.0%	179 (45.2%)	66 (16.7%)	123 (31.1%)	3 (0.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.1%)	53.9	327^th of 686 public elementary schools	52.3%		53.6	328^th of 680 public elementary schools	51.8%	1	37.1	51.6	34.6		59.4	56.5	65.6	65.4		$9,722	$1,340	$8,380
Whitesburg Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	6810 Whitesburg Drive SE	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7520	379	24	15.7	52.0%	117 (30.9%)	193 (50.9%)	33 (8.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (8.7%)	32.3	477^th of 686 public elementary schools	30.5%		41.3	415^th of 680 public elementary schools	39.0%	62	20.6	27.1	36.2		35.4	54.0	40.4	70.7
Weatherly Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1307 Cannstatt Drive SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7460	472	30	15.7	28.6%	292 (61.9%)	75 (15.9%)	52 (11.0%)	16 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.6%)	75.1	155^th of 686 public elementary schools	77.4%		69.5	197^th of 680 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	44.6	50.7	45.7		69.0	73.5	81.7	90.0		$9,510	$870	$8,639
Mountain Gap Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	821 Mountain Gap Road SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7360	341	20	17.2	31.4%	224 (65.7%)	41 (12.0%)	43 (12.6%)	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.3%)	90	52^nd of 686 public elementary schools	92.4%		93.1	29^th of 680 public elementary schools	95.7%	23	77.8	64.6	65.5		75.4	87.0	80.0	85.7
Jones Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4908 Garth Rd SE	Huntsville	35802	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7220	471	27	17.3	26.8%	273 (58.0%)	111 (23.6%)	48 (10.2%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (7.4%)	79.4	118^th of 686 public elementary schools	82.8%		81.6	101^st of 680 public elementary schools	85.1%	17	54.4	68.2	59.1	41.2	68.2	78.5	63.6	86.4	76.5	$9,469	$884	$8,583
McDonnell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4010 Binderton Pl	Huntsville	35805	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7280	511	27	18.9	66.5%	51 (10.0%)	125 (24.5%)	316 (61.8%)	5 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	12 (2.3%)	8.1	661^st of 686 public elementary schools	3.6%		9	645^th of 680 public elementary schools	5.1%	16	15.1	9.9	9.7		20.8	25.0	27.1	46.8		$9,416	$2,190	$7,225
Challenger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13555 Chaney Thompson Rd	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7060	491	28	17.5	31.8%	241 (49.1%)	111 (22.6%)	93 (18.9%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.3%)	62.8	253^rd of 686 public elementary schools	63.1%		56.8	307^th of 680 public elementary schools	54.9%	54	40.0	48.8	40.7		58.5	70.0	69.1	72.8		$7,486	$524	$6,961
Farley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Green Cove Rd SW	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7160	334	19	17.7	28.7%	179 (53.6%)	49 (14.7%)	39 (11.7%)	26 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (12.3%)	68.4	209^th of 686 public elementary schools	69.5%		66.9	220^th of 680 public elementary schools	67.6%	11	46.7	39.7	62.5		55.2	77.3	60.3	85.7		$8,625	$737	$7,888
Ridgecrest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3505 Cerro Vista Street SW	Huntsville	35805	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7380	463	30	15.4	69.8%	47 (10.2%)	127 (27.4%)	265 (57.2%)	7 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.5%)	22.3	536^th of 686 public elementary schools	21.9%		18.6	557^th of 680 public elementary schools	18.1%	21	24.6	31.9	12.3		38.6	55.1	37.7	43.9		$9,463	$2,004	$7,457
Blossomwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1321 Woodmont Avenue	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7020	596	38	15.8	50.5%	247 (41.4%)	262 (44.0%)	30 (5.0%)	6 (1.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	49 (8.2%)	46.3	386^th of 686 public elementary schools	43.7%		53.1	331^st of 680 public elementary schools	51.3%	55	36.8	35.9	40.7	18.7	51.1	70.8	55.4	61.2	53.9	$8,149	$907	$7,241

Frequently Asked Questions about Roger B Chaffee Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Roger B Chaffee Elementary School?

Students at Roger B Chaffee Elementary School are 45% White, 31% Hispanic, 17% African American, 6% Two or more races.

How many students attend Roger B Chaffee Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 396 students attended Roger B Chaffee Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Roger B Chaffee Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Roger B Chaffee Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Whitesburg Middle School
High : Virgil Grissom High School

What district is Roger B Chaffee Elementary School in?

Huntsville City

Is Roger B Chaffee Elementary School a good school?

Roger B Chaffee Elementary School ranks 327^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate Roger B Chaffee Elementary 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.