Summary:
Zip code 36037, serving the Greenville, AL area, is home to two elementary schools within the Butler County district, which together form a two-stage pipeline for students in grades PK-2 at WO Parmer Elementary School and grades 3-4 at Greenville Elementary School, serving roughly 796 students in a high-poverty area where about 77% of children qualify for free or reduced lunch.
When comparing the two schools, WO Parmer Elementary School is the larger campus with 528 students, nearly double the 268 at Greenville Elementary School, and it also spends more per student ($9,924 vs. $8,052) despite having a lower poverty rate (69.5% vs. 85.1%). Both schools have nearly identical student-teacher ratios (17.6:1 and 17.8:1), but Greenville Elementary School is the only one with standardized test data, making it the sole measure of academic performance in the area. A major concern for both schools is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 26.3% at WO Parmer and 25.3% at Greenville Elementary—more than double the state average of 12% and well above the district's 21.4%.
Academically, Greenville Elementary School shows a troubling pattern: math proficiency drops sharply from 50.4% in 3rd grade to 37.1% in 4th grade, while science proficiency in 4th grade is just 35.5%, far below the state average of 50.2%. However, English is a relative strength, with 3rd-grade proficiency at 71.9% exceeding the state average of 64.75%. Encouragingly, the school has improved its state ranking over three years, moving from the 37th percentile to the 51st percentile, suggesting positive momentum. For parents, the key takeaway is that while both schools face significant challenges with absenteeism and poverty, literacy instruction appears effective, but math and science—especially in 4th grade—need focused attention.
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