Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Helena Intermediate School

Q: Is Helena Intermediate School a good school?

Helena Intermediate School ranks 126 th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 3-5

126^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 82% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Helena Intermediate School serves 955 students in grades 3-5 in Helena, Alabama, part of the Shelby County school district, and has earned a consistent 4-star rating over the past decade.

This school stands out for its exceptional English Language Arts performance, with 5th graders achieving an 84.5% proficiency rate in 2025-2026—well above the state average of 69.5%. Students also show clear academic growth as they move through the grades: 3rd grade math proficiency starts at 48.0%, but climbs to 60.3% by 4th grade, and ELA proficiency rises from 81.8% in 3rd grade to 84.5% by 5th grade. The school is particularly effective at supporting special education students, who ranked in the 86th percentile statewide in 2025-2026, a dramatic improvement from the 72nd percentile just two years earlier. Attendance is another major strength, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.6%—less than half the state average of 12.0%.

What makes Helena Intermediate particularly noteworthy is how efficiently it achieves these results. The school operates with a student-teacher ratio of 18.0, notably higher than nearby schools like Creek View Elementary School (14.7), and spends less per student ($8,594) than Pelham Oaks ($10,228) or Pelham Ridge ($9,196)—yet it outperforms both Pelham schools in 5th grade math (49.0% vs. 34.9% and 34.1%). It also holds its own against the highly-ranked Hoover City schools, with 4th grade math proficiency (60.3%) surpassing Trace Crossings Elementary School (57.7%). While math scores in 3rd and 5th grades dipped in 2025-2026, and English Language Learner support remains an area for growth, the school's stable population, strong attendance culture, and consistent academic outcomes make it a reliable choice for families in the Helena area.

955

Students ?

18.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,057

Per pupil spending ?

28.8%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

3500 Hwy 52
Helena, AL 35080-0052

(205) 682-5520

District: Shelby County

Students who attend Helena Intermediate School usually attend:

Middle:	Helena Middle
High:	Helena High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

72.3%

African American:

12.7%

Hispanic:

9.9%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Helena Intermediate School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 87th percentile in 2016 → 82nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (67% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 18% of Alabama elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2016

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school67%

District avg64%

Alabama avg53%

126^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 18%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From top 13% (2016) to top 18% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

5^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Shelby County

29^th of 140Shelby 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	78.8	126 of 686	81.6%	★★★★☆
2025	81.4	104 of 680	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	83.6	92 of 684	86.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	105 of 680	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	83.3	96 of 687	86.0%	★★★★☆
2021	80.5	103 of 692	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	74.9	140 of 681	79.4%	★★★★☆
2018	78.1	137 of 680	79.9%	★★★★☆
2017	87.8	63 of 688	90.8%	★★★★★
2016	84.2	91 of 691	86.8%	★★★★☆
2015	80.9	98 of 691	85.8%	★★★★☆
2014	81.4	87 of 695	87.5%	★★★★☆
2013	71.1	154 of 696	77.9%	★★★★☆
2012	76.9	97 of 696	86.1%	★★★★☆
2011	81.5	55 of 709	92.2%	★★★★★
2010	77.9	88 of 704	87.5%	★★★★☆
2009	84.7	43 of 696	93.8%	★★★★★
2008	76.3	115 of 698	83.5%	★★★★☆
2007	77.9	109 of 698	84.4%	★★★★☆
2006	84.4	54 of 689	92.2%	★★★★★
2005	86.0	48 of 688	93.0%	★★★★★
2004	93.8	13 of 623	97.9%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	73.7	74 of 428	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	70.3	87 of 427	79.6%	★★★★☆
2024	82.7	38 of 420	91.0%	★★★★★
2023	62.8	110 of 427	74.2%	★★★★☆
2022	76.1	54 of 426	87.3%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	61 of 426	85.7%	★★★★☆
2019	76.2	62 of 426	85.4%	★★★★☆
2018	66.7	106 of 423	74.9%	★★★★☆
2017	74.3	50 of 336	85.1%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	45.7	71 of 143	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.9	75 of 142	47.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	40.4	73 of 131	44.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.3	62 of 123	49.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	68.3	21 of 110	80.9%	★★★★☆
2021	39.9	56 of 100	44.0%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	75.3	136 of 651	79.1%	★★★★☆
2025	78.9	116 of 649	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	82.1	97 of 650	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	78.9	112 of 645	82.6%	★★★★☆
2022	80.5	105 of 656	84.0%	★★★★☆
2021	77.9	107 of 656	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	71.7	149 of 646	76.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.0	121 of 640	81.1%	★★★★☆
2017	84.5	73 of 639	88.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	75.8	39 of 206	81.1%	★★★★☆
2024	63.8	57 of 196	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	77.7	31 of 184	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	75.7	32 of 175	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	60.5	54 of 164	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.7	45 of 152	70.4%	★★★★☆
2018	65.3	36 of 140	74.3%	★★★★☆
2017	79.6	16 of 130	87.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	67.5	187 of 667	72.0%	★★★★☆
2025	75.8	114 of 660	82.7%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	81 of 670	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	81.7	66 of 623	89.4%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	133 of 651	79.6%	★★★★☆
2021	79.3	84 of 653	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	60.7	234 of 649	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.8	261 of 651	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	73.7	93 of 567	83.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	79.0	114 of 659	82.7%	★★★★☆
2025	81.1	92 of 651	85.9%	★★★★☆
2024	81.4	96 of 655	85.3%	★★★★☆
2023	80.1	98 of 649	84.9%	★★★★☆
2022	83.0	88 of 669	86.8%	★★★★☆
2021	80.4	94 of 669	85.9%	★★★★☆
2019	75.3	124 of 650	80.9%	★★★★☆
2018	77.0	138 of 650	78.8%	★★★★☆
2017	87.5	57 of 639	91.1%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	61.4	9 of 21	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.2	9 of 19	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	46.9	13 of 22	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.4	17 of 25	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.5	15 of 19	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	25.3	14 of 18	22.2%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	64.1	67 of 193	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	81.5	15 of 97	84.5%	★★★★☆
2024	75.5	18 of 82	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	83.4	11 of 70	84.3%	★★★★☆
2022	78.3	12 of 64	81.3%	★★★★☆
2021	52.6	25 of 54	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.7	16 of 39	59.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	74.9	56 of 403	86.1%	★★★★☆
2025	61.8	107 of 403	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	61.8	112 of 395	71.6%	★★★★☆
2023	58.8	107 of 373	71.3%	★★★★☆
2022	51.6	136 of 345	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.8	138 of 398	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.6	226 of 392	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	39.8	195 of 344	43.3%	★★☆☆☆
2017	67.2	56 of 280	80.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	68.7	142 of 501	71.7%	★★★★☆
2025	73.7	115 of 532	78.4%	★★★★☆
2024	75.0	111 of 535	79.3%	★★★★☆
2023	73.5	107 of 528	79.7%	★★★★☆
2022	76.4	96 of 540	82.2%	★★★★☆
2021	73.0	116 of 539	78.5%	★★★★☆
2019	61.7	169 of 529	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	66.6	150 of 508	70.5%	★★★★☆
2017	78.6	68 of 369	81.6%	★★★★☆

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 (2026)86th percentile+4 vs school

African American (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)83rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)81st percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)79th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)72nd percentile-10 vs school

White (2026)72nd percentile-10 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)65th percentile-16 vs school

Military Connected (2024)57th percentile-29 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)50th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English81%+17 vs state

Science66%+16 vs state

Mathematics52%+10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Helena Intermediate School and help other families decide.

Rate Helena Intermediate School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Helena Intermediate School

Load more schools when map is moved

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 Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Helena Intermediate School	Public	3-5	3500 Hwy 52	Helena	35080	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5520	955	53	18.0	28.8%	690 (72.3%)	121 (12.7%)	95 (9.9%)	13 (1.4%)	2 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	33 (3.5%)	78.8	126^th of 686 public elementary schools	81.6%		81.4	104^th of 680 public elementary schools	84.7%	22	48.0	60.3	49.0	66.5	81.8	78.1	84.5	$11,057	$1,109	$9,895
Helena Elementary School	Public	K-2	187 Third St	Helena	35080	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5540	778	45	17.2	30.1%	560 (72.0%)	99 (12.7%)	79 (10.2%)	21 (2.7%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	14 (1.8%)								(n/a)								$11,057	$1,258	$9,772
South Shades Crest Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	3770 South Shades Crest Rd	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-3000	534	36	15.0	18.2%	307 (57.5%)	95 (17.8%)	31 (5.8%)	79 (14.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (4.1%)								(n/a)								$13,507	$948	$12,549
Trace Crossings Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5454 Learning Lane	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 439-2700	769	54	14.3	37.5%	321 (41.7%)	223 (29.0%)	80 (10.4%)	83 (10.8%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (7.8%)	81.2	109^th of 686 public elementary schools	84.1%		85.6	80^th of 680 public elementary schools	88.2%	29	66.4	57.7	72.5	54.5	79.6	69.9	86.7	$13,271	$1,740	$11,520
Brocks Gap Intermediate School	Public	2-5	1730 Lake Cyrus Club Drive	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-1600	521	35	14.8	20.0%	276 (53.0%)	124 (23.8%)	33 (6.3%)	49 (9.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (7.3%)	92	38^th of 686 public elementary schools	94.5%		92.6	34^th of 680 public elementary schools	95.0%	4	74.1	68.0	71.1	76.7	85.6	84.7	91.7	$14,399	$1,007	$13,381
Creek View Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-3	8568 Highway 17	Maylene	35114	Shelby County	Alabaster City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 516-5798	958	65	14.7	48.7%	521 (54.4%)	172 (18.0%)	192 (20.0%)	7 (0.7%)	4 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	62 (6.5%)								(n/a)	72.7				87.6			$13,088	$2,357	$10,710
Pelham Oaks	Public	PK, KG-5	2200 Highway 33	Pelham	35124	Shelby County	Pelham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 624-3703	750	48	15.7	53.6%	336 (44.8%)	136 (18.1%)	213 (28.4%)	10 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (7.3%)	55.8	311^th of 686 public elementary schools	54.7%		64.2	237^th of 680 public elementary schools	65.1%	74	43.1	36.0	34.9	53.7	64.6	65.0	76.4	$12,239	$1,888	$10,293
Pelham Ridge	Public	PK, KG-5	251 Applegate Parkway	Pelham	35124	Shelby County	Pelham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 624-3704	783	50	15.6	48.4%	291 (37.2%)	185 (23.6%)	243 (31.0%)	19 (2.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.6%)	58.6	284^th of 686 public elementary schools	58.6%		60.7	270^th of 680 public elementary schools	60.3%	14	41.3	41.1	34.1	58.1	65.8	64.5	79.3	$12,496	$1,827	$10,611
Greenwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5012 Roselyn Road Southeast	Bessemer	35022	Jefferson County	Bessemer City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 432-3201	290	13	22.3	71.7%	11 (3.8%)	160 (55.2%)	111 (38.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	19.7	558^th of 686 public elementary schools	18.7%		13.8	599^th of 680 public elementary schools	11.9%	41	15.4	24.3	23.3	18.9	52.5	35.1	58.1	$15,420	$4,216	$11,197
Deer Valley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4990 Ross Bridge Parkway	Hoover	35226	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-3300	735	54	13.7	15.4%	404 (55.0%)	138 (18.8%)	35 (4.8%)	98 (13.3%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	56 (7.6%)	92.4	34^th of 686 public elementary schools	95.0%		92.1	36^th of 680 public elementary schools	94.7%	2	80.6	72.6	69.9	71.8	91.4	82.9	88.6	$10,842	$789	$10,042

Frequently Asked Questions about Helena Intermediate School

How many students attend Helena Intermediate School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 955 students attended Helena Intermediate School.

Is Helena Intermediate School a good school?

Helena Intermediate School ranks 126^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Helena Intermediate School attend?

Students who attend Helena Intermediate School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Helena Middle
High : Helena High School

What district is Helena Intermediate School in?

Shelby County

What is the racial makeup of Helena Intermediate School?

Students at Helena Intermediate School are 72% White, 13% African American, 10% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Rate Helena Intermediate School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ALAlabama Elementary School Rankings

ALAlabama District Rankings

Schools in Helena, AL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Helena Intermediate School!

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.