Best Public Schools in Zip Code 35023

Zip code 35023, serving the Hueytown and Bessemer communities in Jefferson County, Alabama, is home to 7 schools—4 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools—that together educate approximately 4,836 students within the Jefferson County district.

For parents, the most important takeaway is the clear divide between the Oak Grove and Hueytown school clusters. Oak Grove High School is the academic leader, ranking 218th in the state with a 98.9% graduation rate, while Hueytown High School lags at 268th with an 89.9% graduation rate and a concerning 29.5% chronic absenteeism rate—nearly 1 in 3 students. At the elementary level, Oak Grove Elementary School and Concord Elementary School stand out, with Concord showing remarkable improvement (jumping 88 rank positions) and now posting 3rd grade English proficiency of 77.59%, well above the state average. In contrast, Hueytown Intermediate School struggles with just 20.25% math proficiency, and Hueytown Middle School faces a math crisis—only 4.29% of 6th graders are proficient, a fraction of the state average.

The most pressing concern is the middle school math crisis, which creates a feeder problem into Hueytown High. Socioeconomic factors play a role, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 38.89% at Oak Grove Elementary to 72.32% at Hueytown Middle. However, the spending paradox is notable: Concord spends the most per student ($10,368) and improves, while Hueytown Middle spends the least ($7,214) and struggles most. Hueytown Primary School (PK-2) has no test data but shows early challenges with 17.2% absenteeism. The bottom line: Oak Grove schools demonstrate what's possible with strong attendance and lower poverty, while Hueytown schools need targeted interventions—especially in math and attendance—to break the cycle of underachievement.