Summary:
Zip code 35582 is home to a single elementary school, Red Bay Elementary, which serves grades PK through 6 with 410 students in the Franklin County district.
For parents considering this area, Red Bay Elementary stands out as a school with clear strengths in mathematics. In the most recent school year, the school outperformed state averages in math at every grade level, with particularly impressive results in 5th grade (65.91% proficient vs. 39.06% statewide) and 6th grade (59.62% vs. 35.22%). However, these math scores show significant year-to-year volatility—for example, 4th grade math dropped from 74.47% to 52.63% between school years, while 6th grade math jumped from 36.73% to 59.62%. This suggests that performance can vary considerably depending on the cohort of students. English scores are more stable but generally hover near or slightly below state averages, with 3rd grade showing the strongest performance at 68% proficiency. Science scores in 4th grade declined sharply from 68.09% to 50.88%, falling below both district and state averages in the most recent year.
The school's overall state ranking has slipped from a 4-star rating (73rd percentile) in 2023–2024 to a 3-star rating (66th–67th percentile) in recent years. One notable concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 13.4%—higher than both the district average (10.3%) and state average (12.0%). With a student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1 and 41.22% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, the school serves a moderately diverse economic population while maintaining reasonable class sizes. Despite the ranking dip and attendance concerns, the school's consistent math outperformance suggests effective instructional practices in that subject area, making it a solid choice for families prioritizing mathematics education.
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