Summary:
Zip code 35014 in Alpine, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, Sycamore School, which enrolls 340 students in grades Pre-K through 5 and operates within the Talladega County school district.
For parents considering Sycamore School, the most important takeaway is that this is a school with clear strengths in English Language Arts but significant struggles in math and science. In the most recent school year, 3rd graders posted an impressive 76% proficiency in English—about 11 points above the state average—and 5th graders also beat the state in English and math. However, 4th grade is a major concern: math proficiency sits at just 27% (nearly 15 points below the state), and science proficiency is critically low at 27%, a staggering 23 points behind the state average. The school's overall state ranking has slipped for three straight years, from the 60th percentile down to the 42nd, even though some test scores improved—meaning peer schools are advancing faster. With 66.76% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 16.4% (well above the state's 12.0%), the school faces real challenges tied to poverty and attendance. The student-to-teacher ratio of 18.6:1 is also higher than the national average, and per-student spending of $10,429 is modest.
Despite these hurdles, there are bright spots to build on. The 3rd grade English results and 5th grade math performance show that effective instruction exists in certain grades, and the year-over-year gains in 3rd grade math (+14 points) and English (+13 points) suggest targeted interventions may be working. The school's ranking decline, however, indicates that systemic improvements are needed, particularly in 4th grade science and math, and that addressing chronic absenteeism should be a top priority for the community.
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