Summary:
Zip code 35208 in Birmingham, Alabama, is served by four schools within the Birmingham City district, including three elementary schools and one middle school, with a total enrollment of 1,247 students.
There is a stark contrast in performance within this zip code. Princeton School is a clear standout, ranking in the 87th percentile statewide (4 stars) and achieving math proficiency rates of 68-79% in grades 3-5, which are well above state averages. In contrast, Central Park Elementary and Charles A Brown Elementary rank in the bottom 16th percentile, with 5th-grade math proficiency at just 8.9% and 20.0%, respectively. The only middle school, Bush Hills STEAM Academy, ranks in the 8th percentile and shows a troubling decline in math, dropping from 4.5% proficiency in 6th grade to just 1.8% in 8th grade. Notably, Princeton School also has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (0.5%) and the lowest free/reduced lunch eligibility (55.4%), while Bush Hills has the highest spending per student ($19,712) yet the lowest test scores.
For parents, the key takeaway is that school choice within this zip code matters enormously. Princeton School demonstrates that high achievement is possible even within a low-performing district, with results rivaling state averages and showing remarkable year-over-year consistency. However, the other three schools struggle significantly, particularly in mathematics, where proficiency rates are often in the single digits or low teens. All schools show higher proficiency in English than math, and all have chronic absenteeism rates below the district average of 13.1%. The dramatic disparities suggest that school-level factors—such as leadership, culture, and instructional practices—play a critical role, and parents should consider visiting schools and asking about math intervention programs, especially at the middle school level.
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