Schools in Zip Code 35987

Zip code 35987 in Steele, Alabama, is served by a single school, Steele Elementary School, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade within the St Clair County district.

As the only school in the area, Steele Elementary School is a small, rural institution with 141 students and a favorable 14.8:1 student-teacher ratio. The school is a standout performer, earning a 4-star rating and ranking in the 71st percentile statewide. Its greatest academic strengths are in English/Language Arts, where proficiency across grades 3-6 ranges from 75% to 81%, consistently exceeding state averages by 5 to 22 percentage points. Science is another signature subject, with 4th-grade proficiency at an exceptional 81.25%, a remarkable 31 points above the state average. Perhaps the most impressive metric is the school's chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.5%, compared to 12% statewide, indicating strong student engagement and family involvement. This is particularly notable given that 54.61% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, yet the school still outperforms state averages in most subjects.

The primary area of concern is math proficiency, which shows significant inconsistency across grade levels. While 6th-grade math is strong at 50% proficiency (nearly 15 points above the state), 5th-grade math has dropped dramatically to just 18.75% proficiency, a 25-point decline from the previous year and 20 points below the state average. This "5th-grade math cliff" may be a cohort-specific issue rather than a systemic problem, given the small class sizes where a few students can heavily influence percentages. Overall, Steele Elementary School is a high-performing school with excellent literacy and science programs, exceptional attendance, and a strong upward trajectory, making it a bright spot within its district, though math intervention in the upper elementary grades may be warranted.