Summary:
Zip code 35043 in Chelsea, Alabama, is served by four schools in the Shelby County district, offering a complete K-12 pathway for roughly 3,563 students across two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
The standout in this area is Chelsea High School, ranked 20th in the state with a 96.8% graduation rate and math proficiency nearly double the state average. Chelsea Middle School is also exceptional, ranking in the 91st percentile with 8th-grade science proficiency at 82.58%—a remarkable 28 points above the state. Among the elementaries, Chelsea Park Elementary School outperforms Forest Oaks Elementary School despite similar demographics, with a 21-point gap in 5th-grade math (65.79% vs. 44.35%). Interestingly, Forest Oaks spends $478 more per student yet achieves lower results, suggesting Chelsea Park may have more effective instructional strategies.
Science is a district-wide strength, with scores consistently 20-28 points above state averages at every level. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low across all schools—Chelsea Park leads at just 4.5% versus the 12% state average—which likely contributes to strong outcomes. The main concern is a notable dip in 7th-grade math at Chelsea Middle (35.21% proficiency), the lowest score across all grades and schools, indicating a potential curriculum transition issue. However, the overall picture is highly positive: Chelsea Middle School spends the least per student ($7,609) yet achieves top-tier results, and Chelsea High School shows strong year-over-year improvement in both math and science. For families, this zip code offers a rare, consistently strong educational pipeline from kindergarten through 12th grade, with schools ranking in the 74th to 95th percentiles statewide.
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