Summary:
Zip code 35217, covering the Tarrant and Birmingham areas of Alabama, is served by three elementary schools—Tarrant Intermediate School, Inglenook School, and Tarrant Elementary School—which together enroll about 1,023 students across grades PK-8, with all schools serving predominantly low-income families (free/reduced lunch rates between 77% and 79%).
These schools face significant academic challenges, with all three ranking in the bottom 15% of Alabama elementary schools. Tarrant Intermediate School (grades 3-6) is the strongest performer in the area, showing the most consistent test scores and the lowest chronic absenteeism (19.5%), though its math proficiency still lags far behind state averages—for example, only 6.17% of 6th graders are proficient in math versus 35.22% statewide. Inglenook School (PK-8) offers the only K-8 continuity model but shows extreme volatility, with 4th grade math proficiency dropping from 14.29% to 0% in one year, and 7th and 8th grade math at 0% proficiency. Tarrant Elementary School (PK-2) has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 31.3%—more than 2.5 times the state average—and no recent test data since it only serves the youngest grades.
Across all schools, English proficiency consistently outperforms math, though both remain well below state benchmarks. A notable "6th grade cliff" appears in math, with proficiency dropping by roughly two-thirds at both schools serving that grade. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic concern, ranging from 16.7% at Inglenook School to 31.3% at Tarrant Elementary School, compared to the 12% state average. Interestingly, Tarrant Elementary School spends the most per student ($11,779) yet shows the worst attendance, while Tarrant Intermediate School spends the least ($9,871) but achieves better outcomes—suggesting that funding alone doesn't drive success. Both districts, Tarrant City and Birmingham City, face declining rankings, with Inglenook School falling from the 17th to the 2nd percentile in just two years.
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