Summary:
Zip code 36020 is home to a single public school, Airport Road Intermediate School, which serves 3rd and 4th graders in the Elmore County district, an area with a mid-to-high level of economic disadvantage where 57% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
As the only school in this zip code, Airport Road Intermediate School presents a mixed picture for parents. The school’s biggest strength is in English Language Arts for 3rd graders, where 70.87% of students are proficient, beating the state average of 64.75%. However, there is a dramatic "4th grade slump" that is hard to ignore. In math, 3rd graders hit 49.35% proficiency (above the state’s 44.89%), but 4th graders plummet to just 31.89%—far below the state average of 42.07%. The same pattern appears in English, where 4th grade proficiency drops to 55.91%, under the state’s 59.53%. Science scores for 4th graders are also weak at 40.55%, compared to the district’s 51.57% and state’s 50.23%. This consistent drop-off across two years of data suggests a systemic issue with the 4th-grade curriculum or instruction, not a one-time fluke.
On a positive note, chronic absenteeism is excellent at just 7.8%, well below the district and state rates of about 12%, showing that students are showing up ready to learn. Yet this strong attendance does not translate into high achievement, especially in the upper grade. The school’s state ranking has slipped from the 63rd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 47th percentile in 2025-2026, and its star rating fell from 3 to 2 stars. With a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 19.1:1 and per-student spending of $8,332, parents may want to ask the school about targeted support for 4th graders, particularly in math and science, as this is the clearest area needing improvement.
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