Summary:
Zip code 35405 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is home to 5 elementary schools serving approximately 2,747 students from Pre-K through 5th grade, with all schools serving predominantly low-income populations (55-76% free/reduced lunch).
For parents exploring this area, Woodland Forrest Elementary School is the clear standout, achieving the highest state ranking (#440 out of 686) and the best math scores in the group—44.4% proficiency in 3rd grade math, nearly matching the state average. Its chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.8% is remarkable, six times better than the state average, and it showed the most improvement year-over-year. In contrast, Englewood Elementary School struggles most, with the lowest ranking (#542), math proficiency of only 13.3% (less than one-third the state average), and declining scores across all grades. The other three schools—Southview Elementary School, Skyland Elementary School, and Taylorville Primary School—fall in the middle, with math proficiency ranging from 25-28%.
A notable dynamic exists between the two districts: Tuscaloosa City schools generally outperform Tuscaloosa County schools in math while spending more per student ($10,071-$11,621 vs. $8,323-$9,620). English/Language Arts is a relative strength across all schools, with 5th grade proficiency (50-66.7%) much closer to the state average (69.5%) than math scores. Taylorville Primary (PK-2) and Englewood (3-5) operate as a paired feeder system, meaning students transition between schools after 2nd grade. Skyland, despite having the highest poverty rate (76.5%), offers the best student-teacher ratio (16.5:1), yet its performance remains middling. The biggest opportunity across all schools is math instruction, where proficiency lags 15-30 points behind state averages.
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