Summary:
Zip code 35151 is home to just one elementary school, Pinecrest Elementary School, which serves grades 3 through 5 and enrolls 426 students in the Sylacauga City district.
For parents considering this area, Pinecrest Elementary is the only option for upper elementary grades, and it presents a mixed picture. The school has held a steady 2-star rating for three years, but its statewide percentile rank has slipped from the 44th to the 36th percentile, meaning other Alabama schools are improving faster. Academically, English language arts is the clear strength—5th grade reading proficiency (70.81%) actually exceeds the state average (69.53%), and 3rd grade reading is close to the state mark. Mathematics is the biggest concern, especially in 4th grade, where only 20.99% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 42.07%. Science also lags, with 4th grade proficiency at 36.65% versus 50.23% statewide. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 62.68% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism (13.4%) runs slightly above the state average of 12.0%.
One notable issue is the high student-teacher ratio of 20.2:1, which may limit individualized attention, particularly in math where students struggle most. The data also shows significant year-to-year swings in test scores—4th grade math dropped 14 points in one year, while 3rd grade math improved by nearly 12 points—suggesting possible cohort size effects or inconsistent instruction. On a positive note, the school's chronic absenteeism is better than the district average of 17.7%, and reading skills appear to strengthen as students progress. Overall, Pinecrest offers a stable, mid-sized environment with relative strength in literacy, but families should be aware of the math and science gaps, the high student-teacher ratio, and the school's declining relative standing in the state.
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