Summary:
Zip code 35816 is home to just one elementary school, Sonnie Hereford Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 6 and enrolls 578 students in the Huntsville, AL area.
As the only elementary school in this zip code, Sonnie Hereford Elementary School faces significant academic challenges. The school trails both the Huntsville City district and state averages in every subject and grade level tested. In mathematics, proficiency rates are particularly low—4th grade sits at just 3.13% proficient compared to 42.07% statewide, and 5th grade is at 5.56% versus 39.06% statewide. English scores are stronger but still lag by roughly 20-35 percentage points, with 6th grade performing best at 37.66% proficiency. Science proficiency in 4th grade is 14.29%, well below the state's 50.23%. The school's state ranking has declined sharply over three years, falling from the 15th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 5th percentile in 2025-2026.
A critical concern is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 16.0%—nearly double the district rate of 8.2% and above the state's 12.0%. With 79.41% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the school serves a high-poverty population. The student-teacher ratio is 18.6:1, and per-student spending was $9,093 in 2018-2019. There are some bright spots: 6th-grade math proficiency (19.48%) is notably higher than 4th and 5th grades, and 4th-grade science nearly doubled from the prior year. However, year-over-year volatility in scores, such as 5th-grade English dropping from 51.35% to 31.94%, suggests inconsistent instruction or high student mobility. For parents, this school requires careful consideration—attendance support and early-grade math intervention appear to be urgent priorities.
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