Schools in Zip Code 35080

Zip code 35080, encompassing Helena, Alabama, is served by four schools within the Shelby County district, which collectively educate over 4,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

This is a high-performing school community, with every school earning a 4-star rating or better. Helena High School is the standout academic leader, recently earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the top 6% of high schools statewide, with a 95.4% graduation rate. Helena Middle is the most improved school, jumping 39 spots in the state rankings over three years. For the youngest learners, Helena Elementary School excels at attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.1%, far below the district average. Helena Intermediate School (grades 3-5) shows the strongest academic performance relative to state averages, particularly in English proficiency, where it averages 81.5% compared to the state's 64.6%.

While all schools outperform state averages, two key trends emerge. First, chronic absenteeism nearly triples from elementary (5.1%) to high school (14.6%), with the high school rate exceeding both district and state averages. Second, math proficiency declines as students advance, with 8th grade math proficiency at Helena Middle (34.9%) falling below the district average—the only subject and grade where a local school lags its district peers. However, the district's efficient resource allocation is notable: Helena Middle spends the least per student yet achieves the highest 8th grade science proficiency. With a homogeneous socioeconomic population across all schools, these performance differences point to instructional and developmental factors rather than economic disparities, suggesting targeted interventions in middle school math and high school attendance could yield significant improvements.