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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 35803

At a glance

Schools

1,638

Students

5-star school

Top rankedMountain Gap Elementary School52^nd of 686 Alabama elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Challenger Elementary School up 54 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

Zip code 35803 in Huntsville, AL is home to four elementary schools—Challenger Elementary School, Weatherly Heights Elementary School, Mountain Gap Elementary School, and Farley Elementary School—all serving grades PK through 5 within the Huntsville City district. These schools range in size from 334 to 491 students and collectively serve a relatively affluent area, with free/reduced lunch rates between 28% and 32%.

Mountain Gap Elementary School is the clear academic standout, ranking 52nd in the state (92nd percentile, 5 stars) and posting proficiency rates 20-40 points above district averages in math, English, and science. Weatherly Heights Elementary School is a consistent 4-star performer (77th percentile) with an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.7%—nearly seven times lower than the state average—and boasts the highest single subject score in the zip code with 90% 5th-grade reading proficiency. Farley Elementary School has declined from a 4-star to a 3-star rating over two years, dropping from 110th to 209th in state rankings, though its latest test scores show some improvement. Challenger Elementary School ranks lowest at 253rd (63rd percentile, 3 stars) and is the only school in the zip code with a chronic absenteeism rate (11.6%) above the district average, which may help explain its struggles in math proficiency.

Notably, Mountain Gap achieves elite results despite having the second-highest poverty rate and a higher student-teacher ratio (17.2) than Weatherly Heights (15.7), suggesting school culture and leadership matter more than demographics. Across all four schools, English proficiency consistently outpaces math, with gaps as large as 30 points at Challenger. Per-student spending does not predict performance—Weatherly Heights spends the most ($9,510) while Mountain Gap doesn't report spending, and Farley spends more than Challenger yet performs only marginally better. For parents, Mountain Gap and Weatherly Heights are the top choices, while Challenger and Farley offer adequate but less impressive options.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Farley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2900 Green Cove Rd SW	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7160	334	19	17.7	28.7%	179 (53.6%)	49 (14.7%)	39 (11.7%)	26 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (12.3%)	68.4	209^th of 686 public elementary schools	69.5%		66.9	220^th of 680 public elementary schools	67.6%	11	46.7	39.7	62.5	55.2	77.3	60.3	85.7	$8,625	$737	$7,888
Mountain Gap Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	821 Mountain Gap Road SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7360	341	20	17.2	31.4%	224 (65.7%)	41 (12.0%)	43 (12.6%)	6 (1.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (7.3%)	90	52^nd of 686 public elementary schools	92.4%		93.1	29^th of 680 public elementary schools	95.7%	23	77.8	64.6	65.5	75.4	87.0	80.0	85.7
Weatherly Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1307 Cannstatt Drive SE	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7460	472	30	15.7	28.6%	292 (61.9%)	75 (15.9%)	52 (11.0%)	16 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.6%)	75.1	155^th of 686 public elementary schools	77.4%		69.5	197^th of 680 public elementary schools	71.0%	42	44.6	50.7	45.7	69.0	73.5	81.7	90.0	$9,510	$870	$8,639
Challenger Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	13555 Chaney Thompson Rd	Huntsville	35803	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7060	491	28	17.5	31.8%	241 (49.1%)	111 (22.6%)	93 (18.9%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	36 (7.3%)	62.8	253^rd of 686 public elementary schools	63.1%		56.8	307^th of 680 public elementary schools	54.9%	54	40.0	48.8	40.7	58.5	70.0	69.1	72.8	$7,486	$524	$6,961

Cities Near Zip Code 35803

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Huntsville	0.37 mi	52	175^th
Big Cove	3.37 mi	1	18^th
Hampton Cove	5.13 mi	2	3^rd
Owens Cross Roads	5.66 mi	1	100^th
Laceys Spring	6.6 mi	1	233^rd

See the top AL Alabama cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.