Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 35901

Zip code 35901 in Gadsden, Alabama, is home to four elementary schools serving grades PK-5 or PK-6, with enrollments between 288 and 400 students, and includes schools from both the Gadsden City and Etowah County districts.

For parents, the standout choice in this area is clearly Eura Brown Elementary School, which earns a 5-star rating and ranks in the 96th percentile statewide (#27 out of 686). Its academic performance is exceptional—3rd graders hit 100% proficiency in English and 84.78% in math, far outpacing every other school in the zip code. Eura Brown also has the lowest poverty rate (32.65% free/reduced lunch) and a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.3%. In stark contrast, Thompson Elementary School struggles at the bottom, ranking 627th with a 0-star rating. Thompson faces a 27.8% chronic absenteeism rate and math proficiency as low as 4.88% in 4th grade, despite spending the most per student ($11,365). W E Striplin Elementary School and Gaston Elementary School fall in the middle, with Gaston (3 stars, 53rd percentile) outperforming W E Striplin (2 stars, 31st percentile) overall.

Key takeaways for families: poverty and attendance are strongly tied to outcomes—Eura Brown’s advantages in both areas translate to proficiency rates 2-3 times higher than its peers. Spending does not predict success, as Thompson’s higher budget yields the worst results. W E Striplin shows a troubling decline, with math proficiency dropping from 41.46% in 3rd grade to just 15.52% by 5th grade, while Gaston’s 3rd graders exceed state averages but fall behind in later grades. Chronic absenteeism is the most actionable issue, especially at Thompson, where over one in four students is chronically absent. Even within the same district, outcomes vary dramatically, suggesting school-specific leadership and community factors matter more than district policies. Class sizes around 16:1 at Eura Brown and Gaston correlate with better performance than the ~20:1 ratios at W E Striplin and Thompson, though other factors clearly play a larger role.