Summary:
Zip code 35546, encompassing the communities of Northport and Berry in west-central Alabama, is served by three schools—Berry Elementary School, Northside Middle School, and Berry High School—which together educate roughly 1,000 students across grades K-12, split between the Fayette County and Tuscaloosa County districts.
For parents, the standout choice academically is Berry Elementary School, which has climbed from the 49th to the 70th percentile in state rankings over two years and now holds a 4-star rating. Its English proficiency rates (67-89%) are strong, and 4th grade math proficiency (61.9%) far exceeds the state average. Northside Middle School is the most consistent performer, maintaining 3-star ratings for three straight years and beating its district in nearly every subject. Its 6th grade English proficiency (71.4%) is nearly 15 points above the state average, and its chronic absenteeism rate (5.5%) is less than half the state norm. In contrast, Berry High School is the weakest link: its graduation rate of 62% is dramatically below the state average of 91.5%, and its test scores have been volatile, including a catastrophic 2024-2025 year when 11th grade math proficiency fell to just 2.3%.
Key takeaways include a clear achievement cliff—students leave elementary school strong but struggle by high school, especially in math and science, where all three schools lag state averages. There is also a socioeconomic divide: Northside Middle serves a more affluent population (27% free/reduced lunch) than the Berry schools (51-54%), correlating with better outcomes. Notably, Berry High School spends 44% more per student than Northside Middle yet achieves far worse results, suggesting resources are used for remediation, not enrichment. The bright spot is Berry Elementary, whose sustained improvement offers hope for the pipeline, but the high school's graduation crisis remains the area's most urgent challenge.
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