Summary:
Zip code 35964 in Douglas, Alabama, is served by two elementary schools within the Marshall County district, together covering grades Pre-K through 5th and enrolling roughly 1,134 students.
For parents, the most striking feature of this area is the exceptional attendance culture. Both Robert D Sloman Primary (grades PK-2, 613 students) and Douglas Elementary School (grades 3-5, 521 students) report chronic absenteeism rates around 3.3-3.4%, dramatically better than the 12% state average. This consistency suggests a systemic success across the district. Academically, the schools show a mixed picture. Douglas Elementary’s 5th-grade English proficiency hit 67.12% in 2024-2025, nearly matching the state average and beating the district by 4.5 points—a remarkable 15-point jump from the same cohort’s 4th-grade score. However, math proficiency is volatile, swinging from 25.81% in 3rd grade to 40.11% in 4th, then dropping to 32.47% in 5th. Robert D Sloman Primary benefits from more resources, spending $9,219 per student versus $8,651 at Douglas Elementary, and enjoys a better student-teacher ratio (15.1:1 vs. 18.6:1).
Economic disadvantage differs notably between the two schools, with Douglas Elementary at 73.13% free/reduced lunch eligibility compared to 60.69% at the primary school. Year-over-year data from Douglas Elementary shows strong gains in 3rd grade (math +10.5 points, English +11.55 points) but concerning declines in 4th and 5th grades, suggesting recent interventions may be helping younger students while upper-grade support needs attention. Both schools belong to a district ranked 97th of 139 in Alabama (30th percentile, 2 stars), indicating that while attendance is a clear strength, academic performance relative to the state remains an area for growth.
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