Summary:
Zip code 35204 in Birmingham, AL, is served by a single elementary school, Tuggle Elementary School, which enrolls 423 students in grades PK-5 and is part of the Birmingham City district.
For parents considering this area, Tuggle Elementary is a school with significant academic challenges but also some encouraging signs of progress. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 15% of Alabama elementary schools for three straight years, earning a 1-star rating. Math proficiency is a critical weakness, with only 15.49% of 3rd graders, 23.08% of 4th graders, and a concerning 10.91% of 5th graders meeting state standards in 2025-2026. The 5th grade math score represents a dramatic 21-point drop from the previous year, which is a red flag that warrants attention. English Language Arts performance is stronger, with 3rd grade proficiency at 47.89% and 4th grade at 40.00%, both showing meaningful year-over-year improvements of nearly 9 and 12 points respectively. Science in 4th grade (24.62%) actually exceeds the district average, though it remains far below the state average of 50.23%.
The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 74.7% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, and has a high student-teacher ratio of 23.5:1. Per-student spending is $10,447, which raises questions about resource allocation given the elevated class sizes. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism at 12.7% is only slightly above the state average and below the district rate, suggesting attendance is not a primary driver of low performance. The inconsistent performance across grade levels—such as 4th grade math being more than double 5th grade math—points to grade-specific factors like teacher quality or curriculum implementation rather than school-wide systemic issues. While the school's overall ranking has remained stagnant, the positive momentum in English and science suggests that targeted interventions, particularly in math, could help Tuggle Elementary begin improving its standing over time.
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