Florence Howard Elementary School

Florence Howard Elementary School is a PK-5 school in Mobile, AL, serving 497 students in the Mobile County district, where about 92% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Florence Howard is a school on the rise, showing real progress despite significant challenges. The most impressive news is in 5th grade English: 75% of students are now proficient, which is actually higher than both the district and state averages. That's a huge jump from just a few years ago, when only about 39% were proficient. Fourth grade English is also strong, matching the district average. The school has also made remarkable strides in getting kids to school—chronic absenteeism has dropped from 33% to just 9%, which is better than the district and state averages. This is a big deal for a school with high poverty levels. While math scores remain a challenge (only about 12% of 3rd graders are proficient, compared to 45% statewide), the school's success in reading shows that its strategies are working. When compared to other neighborhood schools in the area, Florence Howard actually outperforms most of them, ranking higher than Maryvale Elementary, Holloway Elementary, Grant Elementary, and George Hall Elementary.

The biggest contrast is with nearby magnet and traditional schools like Old Shell Road Magnet School and W H Council Traditional School, which rank in the 99th percentile and have much higher proficiency rates across all subjects. However, those schools serve a very different student population, with around 50% of students qualifying for free lunch. Florence Howard's overall ranking has climbed from the 9th percentile to the 27th percentile over the past decade, and its work with African American students is particularly notable—those students rank in the 51st percentile statewide. For parents, this is a school that is clearly heading in the right direction, with strong reading gains and improving attendance, even as math remains an area needing focused attention.