Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 35952

Zip code 35952 in Altoona, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, West End Elementary School, which enrolls 390 students across Pre-K through 6th grade within the Etowah County district.

West End Elementary is facing significant challenges that parents should be aware of. The school's overall state ranking has declined over the past three years, dropping from a 2-star rating to a 1-star rating in the 2025-2026 school year, placing it in the 24th percentile statewide. Academic proficiency is consistently below state averages in both Math and English across all grade levels, with gaps ranging from 15 to 23 percentage points. The most concerning area is 6th grade Math, where only 14.29% of students are proficient compared to the state average of 35.22%. However, there is a notable bright spot: 4th grade Science proficiency (50%) is essentially at the state average (50.23%), suggesting pockets of instructional effectiveness. A critical issue is chronic absenteeism, which affects 32.4% of students—more than double the district rate of 15% and nearly triple the state rate of 12%. This means nearly one in three students is missing significant instructional time, which likely contributes to the academic struggles. The school also serves a predominantly low-income population, with 61.28% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and maintains a student-teacher ratio of 17.7:1 with per-student spending of $8,873.

For parents considering this school, the data reveals a pattern of year-over-year volatility in test scores, with some grades improving while others decline sharply. For example, 5th grade Math improved by 8.53 points while 6th grade Math dropped by 15.90 points. English proficiency is consistently higher than Math across all grades, though both remain below state benchmarks. The combination of high absenteeism, socioeconomic challenges, and declining rankings suggests the school would benefit from targeted interventions in attendance and foundational Math skills. While the 4th grade Science performance demonstrates that students can achieve at state levels, the overall trajectory indicates that West End Elementary needs urgent support to reverse its downward trend and provide students with the academic foundation they need.