West Elementary

Public PK, KG-5

 1965 Merryvale Rd
       Vestavia Hills, AL  35216-2740


(205) 402-5151

District: Vestavia Hills City

SchoolDigger Rank:
25th of 680 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,628 Help


Students who attend West Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Pizitz Middle School
High:    Vestavia Hills High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.9 Help
Number of students:  745

Racial breakdown:

White:
72.9%
Asian:
12.5%
African American:
6.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  14.6% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details West Elementary ranks better than 96.3% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 3rd among 4 ranked elementary schools in the Vestavia Hills City School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 95.23. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (72.9%), Asian (12.5%), African American (6.8%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 14.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at West Elementary is 16.9, which is the highest among 4 elementary schools in the Vestavia Hills City School District! (See more...)
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Compare West Elementary employs 44 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at West Elementary is $11,628, which is the lowest among 4 elementary schools in the Vestavia Hills City School District!
Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

West Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks West Elementary 25th of 680 Alabama public elementary schools. (See West Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Female students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
White students:


Vestavia Hills City:

SchoolDigger ranks Vestavia Hills City 2nd of 134 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for West Elementary.

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Rank History for West Elementary

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Compare

Rank History for all students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 98.00 10th 692 98.6%
2022 96.71 18th 687 97.4%
2023 95.23 25th 680 96.3%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 91.04 18th 398 95.5%
2022 83.24 32nd 345 90.7%
2023 68.80 68th 373 81.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 85.03 45th 653 93.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 97.72 7th 656 98.9%
2022 93.41 31st 656 95.3%
2023 94.13 21st 645 96.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 96.90 16th 669 97.6%
2022 97.14 10th 669 98.5%
2023 94.14 27th 649 95.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 89.65 1st 16 93.8%
2022 80.89 1st 17 94.1%
2023 71.07 5th 19 73.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 68.67 86th 427 79.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at West Elementary

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 94.34 27th 539 95.0%
2022 93.66 22nd 540 95.9%
2023 91.66 35th 528 93.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

West Elementary Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)
100%

0%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Open Quote The entire Vestavia Hills City School System is outstanding. The focus is academic and character education. West Elementary is a fantastic school b/c of it's dedicated teachers and the parental involvment is admirable. Mrs. Patton runs the school w/ efficiency and lots of heart. You will love West. Close Quote



Enrollment information for West Elementary

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 714 714
1989 587 24 21 0 1 n/a n/a 0 633
1990 488 17 13 4 1 n/a n/a 0 523
1991 561 18 9 3 1 n/a n/a 0 592
1992 603 21 14 2 2 n/a n/a 0 642
1993 628 17 18 3 1 n/a n/a 0 667
1994 652 21 23 1 0 n/a n/a 0 697
1995 683 22 24 1 1 n/a n/a 0 731
1996 683 22 24 1 1 n/a n/a 0 731
1997 641 21 33 3 0 n/a n/a 0 698
1998 636 20 31 1 0 n/a n/a 0 688
1999 595 20 33 6 3 n/a n/a 0 657
2000 508 21 29 4 0 n/a n/a 0 562
2001 501 20 28 2 0 n/a n/a 0 551
2002 453 20 30 9 2 n/a n/a 0 514
2003 453 20 30 9 2 n/a n/a 0 514
2004 430 32 45 7 4 n/a n/a 2 520
2005 439 39 55 9 5 n/a n/a 0 547
2006 468 42 59 8 4 n/a n/a 0 581
2007 495 35 62 6 3 n/a n/a 0 601
2008 527 35 58 9 4 n/a n/a 0 633
2009 536 30 69 9 0 n/a n/a 0 644
2010 528 36 65 7 1 n/a n/a 0 637
2011 551 42 69 13 1 0 1 0 677
2012 562 49 75 14 0 0 2 0 702
2013 602 58 69 22 0 0 6 0 757
2014 615 53 69 21 0 0 7 0 765
2015 621 56 85 21 0 0 17 0 800
2016 616 47 91 32 0 0 17 0 803
2017 599 52 85 34 0 0 18 0 788
2018 588 51 92 31 0 0 17 0 779
2019 597 47 96 23 2 0 13 0 778
2020 569 45 114 30 1 1 14 0 774
2021 561 45 118 26 1 1 19 0 771
2022 543 47 107 28 1 1 23 0 750
2023 543 51 93 27 1 1 29 0 745

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at West Elementary

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 714 37.0 19.2 0
1989 633 35.0 18.0 n/a
1990 523 32.0 16.3 0
1991 592 37.0 16.0 n/a
1992 642 40.0 16.0 n/a
1993 667 42.0 15.9 n/a
1994 697 42.4 16.4 n/a
1995 731 45.4 16.1 n/a
1996 731 45.4 16.1 n/a
1997 698 44.5 15.7 1.1
1998 688 44.5 15.5 1
1999 657 44.0 14.9 1.8
2000 562 44.0 12.8 1.1
2001 551 43.0 12.8 2.9
2002 514 39.0 13.2 3.9
2003 514 39.0 13.2 3.9
2004 520 40.0 13.0 5.8
2005 547 38.0 14.4 6.6
2006 581 42.0 13.8 6.9
2007 601 42.0 14.3 5.3
2008 633 46.0 13.8 6.5
2009 644 47.5 13.4 5.7
2010 637 48.0 13.2 7.1
2011 677 47.0 14.4 7.5
2012 702 45.0 15.6 10.4
2013 757 61.0 12.4 9.4
2014 765 49.0 15.6 8.9
2015 800 47.0 17.0 11.3
2016 803 46.0 17.4 10.1
2017 788 45.0 17.5 9.3
2018 779 46.0 16.9 9.2
2019 778 46.0 16.9 8.4
2020 774 46.0 16.8 9.6
2021 771 47.0 16.4 9.5
2022 750 45.0 16.6 3.5
2023 745 44.0 16.9 14.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio West Elementary

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 714 37.0 19.2 0
1989 633 35.0 18.0 n/a
1990 523 32.0 16.3 0
1991 592 37.0 16.0 n/a
1992 642 40.0 16.0 n/a
1993 667 42.0 15.9 n/a
1994 697 42.4 16.4 n/a
1995 731 45.4 16.1 n/a
1996 731 45.4 16.1 n/a
1997 698 44.5 15.7 1.1
1998 688 44.5 15.5 1
1999 657 44.0 14.9 1.8
2000 562 44.0 12.8 1.1
2001 551 43.0 12.8 2.9
2002 514 39.0 13.2 3.9
2003 514 39.0 13.2 3.9
2004 520 40.0 13.0 5.8
2005 547 38.0 14.4 6.6
2006 581 42.0 13.8 6.9
2007 601 42.0 14.3 5.3
2008 633 46.0 13.8 6.5
2009 644 47.5 13.4 5.7
2010 637 48.0 13.2 7.1
2011 677 47.0 14.4 7.5
2012 702 45.0 15.6 10.4
2013 757 61.0 12.4 9.4
2014 765 49.0 15.6 8.9
2015 800 47.0 17.0 11.3
2016 803 46.0 17.4 10.1
2017 788 45.0 17.5 9.3
2018 779 46.0 16.9 9.2
2019 778 46.0 16.9 8.4
2020 774 46.0 16.8 9.6
2021 771 47.0 16.4 9.5
2022 750 45.0 16.6 3.5
2023 745 44.0 16.9 14.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for West Elementary

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $529 (4.5%) $11,098 (95.4%) $11,628

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on West Elementary

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (West Elementary)8169.3
 11.7%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Vestavia Hills City)83.577.5
 6.1%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students778745
 4.2%
African American4751
 8.5%
American Indian21
 50%
Asian9693
 3.1%
Hispanic2327
 17.4%
Pacific Islander01
White597543
 9%
Two or More Races1329
 123.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients8.4%14.6%
 6.3%


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Frequently Asked Questions about West Elementary

Yes! West Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 25th of 680 Alabama elementary schools.

Students at West Elementary are 73% White, 12% Asian, 7% African American, 4% Two or more races, 4% Hispanic.

Students who attend West Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Pizitz Middle School
High : Vestavia Hills High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 745 students attended West Elementary.


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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. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data 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.





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