Summary:
Zip code 35503 in Jasper, Alabama, is served by three schools in the Walker County district—Curry Elementary School (PK-4), Curry Middle School (5-8), and Curry High School (9-12)—which together enroll about 1,267 students and form a complete educational pipeline.
For parents, the most striking story is the dramatic difference between school levels. Curry Elementary School is the academic leader, with 3rd-grade English proficiency at 76.1%—well above state averages—and strong 4th-grade science scores. Curry Middle School is the most improved, climbing to the 54th percentile in 2025-2026, with 8th-grade science (60% proficient) exceeding both district and state averages. However, Curry High School has suffered a stunning collapse, falling from the 75th to the 25th percentile in just two years. Its 11th-grade scores are alarmingly low: 9.5% proficient in math, 18.5% in English, and 22.6% in science—all dramatically below state averages. Despite this, the high school maintains a strong 94.3% graduation rate.
Several patterns stand out. Math proficiency drops sharply through middle school, from 36.8% in 5th grade to just 12.2% in 7th grade. Chronic absenteeism is a clear dividing line: the elementary school excels (9.1%), but both middle (17.7%) and high school (16.5%) struggle significantly. All three schools serve similar socioeconomic populations (roughly 50-58% free/reduced lunch), so performance gaps aren't explained by economics. Interestingly, the high school spends the most per student ($10,592) yet has the worst outcomes, while the middle school spends the least ($8,584) and shows the most improvement. The elementary school's early English strength (76.1% in 3rd grade) doesn't carry through to high school, suggesting a need for better vertical alignment across this tight-knit "Yellow Jacket" community.
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