Summary:
Zip code 35541, serving the rural Arley area in Winston County, Alabama, is home to just one elementary school: Meek Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 4 with 211 students.
Meek Elementary School stands out for its exceptional science instruction, with 4th-grade proficiency rates of 60.42% in 2025-2026 and 72.73% in 2024-2025—both well above state averages. The school also boasts a low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.9%, better than the district (11.8%) and state (12.0%) averages. However, the school has seen its state ranking decline from the 93rd percentile (5 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 69th percentile (3 stars) in 2025-2026. This drop coincides with significant year-over-year declines in 4th-grade scores across all subjects, including a nearly 25-point drop in mathematics proficiency (from 72.73% to 47.92%) and a 21-point drop in English (from 81.82% to 60.42%).
Despite serving a community where 54.03% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, Meek Elementary School generally outperforms state averages in 3rd-grade subjects, with English proficiency at 73.33% versus the state's 64.75%. The school operates within the Winston County district, which holds a 3-star rating and ranks 66th out of 139 Alabama districts. With a student-teacher ratio of 16.8:1 and per-student spending of $11,912, the school invests heavily in its small student body. The sharp decline in 4th-grade performance may reflect a cohort effect rather than systemic issues, but the three-year downward trajectory from 5 stars to 3 stars warrants attention from district leadership. Parents should note the school's clear strength in science and attendance, while monitoring whether the recent 4th-grade declines persist into future school years.
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