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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 35903

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Alabama rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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At a glance

Schools

1,891

Students

Districts

Top rankedHokes Bluff Elementary School220^th of 686 Alabama elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Donehoo Elementary School up 112 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Litchfield Middle School 16.2 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

3★

1★

0★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

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Summary:

Zip code 35903 in Alabama is served by 5 public schools—3 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high school—spanning two districts, Etowah County and Gadsden City, with a combined enrollment of 1,891 students.

For parents, the standout choice in this area is Hokes Bluff Elementary School, which consistently outperforms both district and state averages, peaking at the 86th percentile statewide in 2023-2024 and maintaining a 68th percentile ranking in 2025-2026. Its 4th-grade science proficiency (64.44%) and strong English scores (63-79%) far exceed those at Adams Elementary School, which struggles with a 0-star rating and 8th percentile ranking—where 3rd-grade math proficiency sits at just 10.98% versus the state's 44.89%. Meanwhile, Donehoo Elementary School is a rising star, jumping from the 49th to 65th percentile in one year and beating state averages in 3rd-grade math (60%) and English (85.71%), despite being in the lower-ranked Gadsden City district. At the secondary level, Hokes Bluff High School boasts a 98.8% graduation rate, while Litchfield Middle School shows a sharp performance drop, with 6th-grade math proficiency at just 12%.

Key takeaways for families: poverty levels strongly track with achievement—Adams has a 90.76% free/reduced lunch rate versus 45.41% at Hokes Bluff Elementary—but Donehoo proves schools can defy that trend. Spending doesn't guarantee results: Litchfield spends the most per student ($14,976) yet underperforms, while Hokes Bluff Elementary spends the least ($8,280) and excels. Interestingly, chronic absenteeism is lower at higher-poverty schools (Donehoo at 6.4%, Litchfield at 8.8%) than at more affluent Hokes Bluff schools (14.9% and 17.3%). Across all schools, English proficiency consistently outpaces math, signaling a need for targeted math support.

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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 Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 11th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 11th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 11th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Hokes Bluff Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5375 Main Street	Hokes Bluff	35903	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 492-5571	610	37	16.4	45.4%	561 (92.0%)	6 (1.0%)	21 (3.4%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.6%)	67	220^th of 686 public elementary schools	67.9%		68.9	207^th of 680 public elementary schools	69.6%	13	44.8	43.3	47.7					64.4			79.2	63.3	75.0					$8,280	$1,183	$7,095
Hokes Bluff High School	Public	9-12	1865 Appalachia Rd	Hokes Bluff	35903	Etowah County	Etowah County	No	No	No	No	(256) 492-1360	371	21	17.4	42.0%	334 (90.0%)	3 (0.8%)	14 (3.8%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.6%)	46.6	189^th of 380 public high schools	50.3%		66.4	106^th of 374 public high schools	71.7%	83							22.1			36.8							19.6	$10,424	$1,191	$9,200
Donehoo Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1109 E Broad St	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 546-3604	225	12	18.3	73.3%	20 (8.9%)	158 (70.2%)	40 (17.8%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (2.2%)	65	237^th of 686 public elementary schools	65.5%		50.7	349^th of 680 public elementary schools	48.7%	112	60.0	50.0	48.5					39.3			85.7	60.7	69.7					$11,244	$2,746	$8,483
Litchfield Middle School	Public	6-8	1109 Hoke St	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 492-6793	252	16	16.2	80.2%	20 (7.9%)	151 (59.9%)	78 (31.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	17.5	370^th of 443 public middle schools	16.5%		13.4	394^th of 439 public middle schools	10.3%	24				12.0	8.2	10.1			28.1					33.0	32.9	41.6		$14,976	$3,234	$11,723
C I T Y Program	Public	6-12	435 E Chestnut	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	No	(256) 543-2489																			(n/a)
Adams Elementary School	Public	K-5	919 Raley St	Gadsden	35903	Etowah County	Gadsden City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 492-4952	433	23	18.6	90.8%	61 (14.1%)	196 (45.3%)	160 (37.0%)	2 (0.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.8%)	11.7	628^th of 686 public elementary schools	8.5%		9.7	641^st of 680 public elementary schools	5.7%	13	11.0	14.9	21.4					28.4			33.7	34.3	39.3					$9,435	$2,672	$6,747

Cities Near Zip Code 35903

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Hokes Bluff	2.04 mi	3	116^th
Glencoe	2.4 mi	3	95^th
Gadsden	3.46 mi	19	222^nd
Southside	8.45 mi	2	53^rd
Jacksonville	9.06 mi	6	86^th

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.