Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 35654

Zip code 35654 in Russellville, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, Tharptown Elementary School, which enrolls 541 students in Pre-K through 6th grade within the Franklin County district.

For parents considering this area, Tharptown Elementary is the only option, so its strengths and challenges define the local educational experience. The school has a favorable student-to-teacher ratio of 13.4:1, which suggests smaller class sizes and more potential for individual attention. Attendance is also a clear positive: the chronic absenteeism rate is just 8.4%, notably better than the district’s 10.3% and the state’s 12.0%, even though about two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Academically, the picture is mixed. English proficiency is the school’s relative strength, with scores running 7 to 13 points below state averages across grades. Science is a bright spot, as 4th grade proficiency (50%) essentially matches the state average. However, mathematics is a significant concern. Proficiency rates in 4th and 5th grade are below 20%, and the 4th grade math score collapsed by 41 points in one year, from 57.81% to 16.67%. This dramatic decline is the most urgent issue facing the school and likely drove its state ranking down from the 44th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 30th percentile in 2025-2026.

There is some encouraging news. Sixth graders improved in both math and English year-over-year, with English jumping 12.58 points. This suggests that upper-grade instruction may be gaining traction. Still, the overall trend is downward, and the school’s math performance lags far behind its English results. While the low absenteeism and favorable class sizes are strong foundations, parents should be aware that academic proficiency, especially in math, is well below state benchmarks and requires close monitoring. The dated spending figure from 2018-2019 ($9,738 per student) makes it difficult to assess current funding levels, but the combination of resources and outcomes suggests that instructional quality and curriculum, rather than class size alone, are key factors to watch.