Summary:
Zip code 35127 in Pleasant Grove, Alabama, is served by three schools within the Jefferson County district, enrolling a total of 1,621 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades.
The standout school in this area is Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School, a magnet middle school ranked #1 in Alabama for two consecutive years with a perfect 5-star rating. Its students achieve proficiency rates that are 30 to 80 percentage points higher than their peers at Pleasant Grove High School in the same subjects and grades. For example, 8th grade math proficiency is 66.67% at the IB school versus just 2.75% at Pleasant Grove High. The IB school also outperforms state averages dramatically, with 11th grade math proficiency at 80.85% compared to the state's 27.21%. This school benefits from higher per-student funding ($13,217) and significantly lower chronic absenteeism (6.5%) compared to the neighborhood schools.
In contrast, Pleasant Grove High School and Pleasant Grove Elementary School both hold 1-star ratings and rank in the bottom 16% of their categories statewide. Pleasant Grove High's 6th and 7th grade math proficiency rates are just 1.1%, while the elementary school's 3rd grade math proficiency is 14.86%—both far below district and state averages. The elementary school shows relative strength in English, with 5th grade proficiency at 56.47% approaching the state average. Both schools have chronic absenteeism around 18%, exceeding the state's 12% rate, and serve higher-poverty populations with free/reduced lunch rates above 63%. Pleasant Grove High's graduation rate of 86% trails the district's 90.8% and state's 91.5%, and its state ranking has shown a concerning downward trajectory over recent years.
Thank you for your feedback!