Summary:
Zip code 35401 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is served by four public elementary schools—University Place Elementary School, Martin L King Junior Elementary School, Oakdale Elementary School, and Central Elementary School—all part of the Tuscaloosa City district, serving grades PK through 5 in a high-poverty area where free/reduced lunch rates range from 69% to 80%.
For parents, the standout choice academically is University Place, which holds the only 2-star rating in the zip code and ranks 413th statewide—well ahead of the other three schools, which all hold 1-star ratings and rank between 483rd and 532nd. University Place leads in math and English proficiency across most grade levels, though Oakdale posts the highest 3rd-grade English score (72.5%). If attendance is a priority, Central is exceptional, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.0%—far below the district (11.1%) and state (12.0%) averages—and it showed the biggest ranking improvement, jumping from 593rd to 483rd. Oakdale offers the smallest class sizes (13.4:1 student-teacher ratio) and the highest per-student spending ($12,270), yet it struggles with the highest absenteeism (12.3%) and near-lowest test scores, suggesting resources alone haven't overcome its challenges. Martin L King Jr sits in the middle on most metrics, with solid attendance (3.1% absenteeism) but lower academic performance.
One universal concern is 4th-grade science, where proficiency ranges from just 10.5% to 25.3%—far below the state average of 50.2%—indicating a critical need for stronger science instruction across all four schools. On a positive note, every school improved its state ranking from 2023-2024 to 2025-2026, suggesting district-wide efforts are gaining traction. Parents should weigh University Place's academic edge, Central's stellar attendance, and Oakdale's smaller classes against each school's specific strengths and challenges.
Thank you for your feedback!