Summary:
Zip code 35474, encompassing the Moundville, Alabama area, is served by two public elementary schools—Moundville Elementary School and Big Sandy Elementary—both covering grades PK-5 with similar enrollments of 586 and 522 students, respectively, but operating under different county systems.
For parents comparing the two, Moundville Elementary School stands out as the stronger academic performer, particularly in English Language Arts. Its 5th-grade ELA proficiency rate of 75.26% exceeds the state average and is a full 12.5 points above its own Hale County district average. Moundville also outperforms Big Sandy in 4th-grade science (40.96% vs. 21.18%) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio (16.2 vs. 17.8). However, both schools struggle in mathematics, with proficiency rates below 35% across all grade levels. Big Sandy Elementary has a notable strength in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.4%—less than half the state average—yet this does not translate into higher test scores, suggesting other barriers to achievement. Big Sandy also spends slightly more per student ($9,270 vs. $8,869) but has a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (53.92% vs. 46.17%).
A concerning trend is the diverging trajectory between the two schools. While Moundville Elementary School has remained relatively stable in state ranking (40th to 37th percentile), Big Sandy Elementary has dropped sharply from the 42nd to the 25th percentile over two years. This decline is highlighted by a dramatic 23-point drop in 5th-grade math proficiency, falling from 38.89% to 15.58% in a single year. Additionally, Moundville consistently outperforms its Hale County district averages, while Big Sandy often falls below its Tuscaloosa County averages, making Moundville the clear choice for parents prioritizing academic rigor, especially in reading and science.
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