Schools in Zip Code 35974

Zip code 35974 is home to a single school, Geraldine School, a comprehensive PK-12 institution in Geraldine, Alabama, serving 1,211 students within the DeKalb County district.

For parents considering this area, Geraldine School offers a unique all-in-one educational experience, but with notable strengths and challenges depending on grade level. The school shines in elementary education, particularly in English Language Arts, where 3rd through 5th grade proficiency rates consistently beat both district and state averages. For example, 5th grade English proficiency reached 74.32% in the 2025-26 school year. However, there is a dramatic "middle school cliff" — 6th grade math proficiency of 42.72% plummets to just 10.96% in 7th grade, a pattern that persists across multiple years and suggests a systemic transition issue. High school performance is also a concern, with 11th grade English proficiency at 17.28% compared to the state's 33.73%, even though the school maintains a strong 95% graduation rate. This disconnect suggests students may be graduating without college-ready academic skills.

Other key factors include a student-teacher ratio of 16.4:1, a free/reduced lunch rate of 61.6%, and chronic absenteeism at 13.2% — slightly above the state average. Per-student spending is $9,156, which may warrant scrutiny given the upper-grade performance gaps. While the school has improved dramatically from a 10.9% dropout rate in 2017-18, the persistent middle and high school academic deficits, combined with year-over-year volatility in math scores, indicate that families should closely monitor their child's transition into 7th grade and throughout high school. The school's "Alternative" designation, despite serving a traditional PK-12 population, is another point worth investigating regarding how it affects programming and resources.