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Underwood Elementary School

Q: Is Underwood Elementary School a good school?

Underwood Elementary School ranks 219 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-6

219^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 68% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Underwood Elementary School is a smaller-than-average public school in Florence, AL, serving 343 students in grades PK-6 within the Lauderdale County district. It holds a solid 3-star rating, ranking in the 68th percentile statewide, and offers a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.7:1.

One of Underwood's standout strengths is its exceptional support for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Despite nearly half of its students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school ranks in the 82nd percentile for this subgroup—a remarkable achievement that outpaces its overall ranking. This is especially impressive when compared to nearby schools like Harlan Elementary or Weeden Elementary, which serve much higher poverty populations. Underwood also shines in early-grade math: 70% of 3rd graders scored proficient, far exceeding the state average of 44.89% and outperforming nearby Central Elementary (52.63%) and Wilson Elementary (45.76%). Science proficiency in 4th grade is also a clear strength at 64.1%.

However, there are areas of concern. Math proficiency drops sharply as students advance, falling from 70% in 3rd grade to just 18.18% in 6th grade—well below the state average of 35.22%. This pattern suggests a need for additional support in upper-grade math. Chronic absenteeism also spiked from 11.8% to 18.2% in one year, though it remains below the district average. While Underwood hasn't yet returned to its pre-pandemic 4-star status, it has shown resilience and stability. For parents, this is a school with strong early-grade instruction and a proven ability to help at-risk students thrive, but one to watch closely as children approach middle school.

343

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$12,890

Per pupil spending ?

46.9%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

4725 Highway 157
Florence, AL 35633

(256) 764-8939

District: Lauderdale County

Racial breakdown:

White:

90.4%

African American:

3.8%

Two or more races:

3.5%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Underwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 88th percentile in 2016 → 68th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (59% vs 51% meeting standards)

✓Above the Alabama median (68th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 20 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school59%

District avg56%

Alabama avg51%

219^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 32%▼ down 19 pts since 2016

From top 12% (2016) to top 32% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 7Elementary Schools in the Lauderdale County

54^th of 140Lauderdale County 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	67.4	219 of 686	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	66.1	223 of 680	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.3	204 of 684	70.2%	★★★★☆
2023	68.7	199 of 680	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	66.7	204 of 687	70.3%	★★★★☆
2021	39.0	429 of 692	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.0	255 of 681	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	80.5	112 of 680	83.5%	★★★★☆
2017	81.4	106 of 688	84.6%	★★★★☆
2016	84.5	86 of 691	87.6%	★★★★☆
2015	73.1	154 of 691	77.7%	★★★★☆
2014	72.8	145 of 695	79.1%	★★★★☆
2013	72.4	131 of 696	81.2%	★★★★☆
2012	76.9	96 of 696	86.2%	★★★★☆
2011	79.1	77 of 709	89.1%	★★★★☆
2010	85.3	33 of 704	95.3%	★★★★★
2009	72.7	142 of 696	79.6%	★★★★☆
2008	82.9	51 of 698	92.7%	★★★★★
2007	91.6	14 of 698	98.0%	★★★★★
2006	80.9	83 of 689	88.0%	★★★★☆
2005	84.3	58 of 688	91.6%	★★★★★
2004	92.4	20 of 623	96.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	64.5	224 of 651	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.8	249 of 649	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.8	247 of 650	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	66.5	210 of 645	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.8	243 of 656	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.1	426 of 656	35.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	62.1	228 of 646	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	82.5	88 of 640	86.3%	★★★★☆
2017	78.5	104 of 639	83.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	75.3	118 of 667	82.3%	★★★★☆
2025	64.4	206 of 660	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.5	180 of 670	73.1%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	146 of 651	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	39.8	412 of 653	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	61.0	231 of 649	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	86.5	48 of 651	92.6%	★★★★★
2017	82.9	50 of 567	91.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	208 of 659	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	70.1	192 of 651	70.5%	★★★★☆
2024	72.1	175 of 655	73.3%	★★★★☆
2023	66.8	199 of 649	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.1	175 of 669	73.8%	★★★★☆
2021	42.4	385 of 669	42.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.9	286 of 650	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	77.8	131 of 650	79.8%	★★★★☆
2017	80.9	93 of 639	85.4%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	91.8	17 of 392	95.7%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	48.4	256 of 501	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.0	276 of 532	48.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.4	268 of 535	49.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.0	232 of 528	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	49.2	263 of 540	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	22.1	457 of 539	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	41.0	329 of 529	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	63.1	172 of 508	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.4	140 of 369	62.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Special Education (2019)96th percentile+33 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)82nd percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)68th percentile~ school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

White (2026)49th percentile-19 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English68%+6 vs state

Science64%+14 vs state

Mathematics49%+9 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Friday, January 28, 2011

The teachers at Underwood are excellent! They are very focused on the students. The small school atmosphere is a plus for any student. Close Quote

Schools Near Underwood 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 (2023)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
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	$12,890	$2,440	$10,403
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	$12,542	$2,042	$10,366
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	$15,699	$3,752	$11,812
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	$13,447	$2,541	$10,771
Wilson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	7601 Highway 17	Florence	35634	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(256) 764-8470	552	31	18.0	49.8%	508 (92.0%)	13 (2.4%)	13 (2.4%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (2.9%)	66.1	229^th of 686 public elementary schools	66.6%		63.4	243^rd of 680 public elementary schools	64.3%	14	45.8	64.4	42.9	33.3	67.8	61.0	69.5	75.7	62.7	$8,694	$814	$7,834
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	$10,505	$195	$10,190
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	$14,555	$2,981	$11,439
Central Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	3000 County Road 200	Florence	35633	Lauderdale County	Lauderdale County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(256) 764-2903	713	41	17.2	43.8%	638 (89.5%)	23 (3.2%)	24 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	25 (3.5%)	51.6	347^th of 686 public elementary schools	49.4%		52	341^st of 680 public elementary schools	49.9%	6	52.6	38.9	37.6	24.5	43.3	62.3	57.8	72.5	58.8	$8,829	$957	$7,826
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	$13,688	$4,009	$9,672
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)										$12,790	$2,827	$9,957

Frequently Asked Questions about Underwood Elementary School

How many students attend Underwood Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 343 students attended Underwood Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Underwood Elementary School?

Students at Underwood Elementary School are 90% White, 4% African American, 3% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.

What district is Underwood Elementary School in?

Lauderdale County

Is Underwood Elementary School a good school?

Underwood Elementary School ranks 219^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2019–20 through 2022–23 school spending dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

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.