Schools in Zip Code 35660

Zip code 35660 in Sheffield, Alabama, is served by the Sheffield City school district, which includes four public schools—two elementary schools, one junior high, and one high school—enrolling a total of 1,029 students, with the majority of students coming from economically disadvantaged households as indicated by high free/reduced lunch rates.

Among the schools, L E Willson Elementary School stands out as the academic leader, particularly in mathematics, where its 6th grade proficiency rate of 41.67% actually exceeds the state average of 35.22%—a remarkable achievement given it has the highest poverty rate in the district at 78.26%. This same cohort improved dramatically from just 19.05% proficiency the previous year. Sheffield Junior High School shows the strongest upward trajectory in state rankings, moving from the 28th to 39th percentile, with notable gains in 8th grade science and 7th grade English. Sheffield High School spends the most per student at $17,582 but produces the weakest outcomes relative to state averages, while WA Threadgill Primary School serves grades PK-2 and has no test data available, though it maintains the second-lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 15.6%.

The district faces significant challenges, including a concerning 26.2% chronic absenteeism rate at the high school—more than double the state average—and a graduation rate of 80% compared to the state's 91.5%. There is a dramatic performance cliff between 8th and 11th grade, with English proficiency dropping from 57.14% to just 19.18%. The most urgent concern is 7th grade math, where only 5.36% of students are proficient, a staggering 19.1 points below the state average. However, all schools with ranking data improved their state percentiles from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, suggesting district initiatives are gaining traction. English proficiency is a relative strength, particularly at 3rd and 8th grades, where scores are within a few points of state averages.