Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 36201

Zip code 36201 in Anniston, Alabama, is home to four elementary schools serving 1,598 students across three different school districts, with grade configurations ranging from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade.

For parents exploring options in this area, Coldwater Elementary School stands out as the strongest academic performer. It is the only school in the zip code with a 4-star district rating, as its Oxford City district ranks in the 73rd percentile statewide. In 3rd grade, Coldwater achieved 55.56% math proficiency and 77.78% English proficiency, both well above state averages. It also has the most favorable student-teacher ratio (14.8:1) and the highest per-student spending ($12,226). However, its chronic absenteeism rate of 15.3% is the highest in the area and above the state average. In contrast, Wellborn Elementary School and Randolph Park Elementary School show significantly lower test scores, with 3rd grade math proficiency at 16.87% and 20.97% respectively. Randolph Park has the highest poverty rate (84.37% free/reduced lunch) but the best attendance record (9.5% chronic absenteeism). Cobb Preparatory Academy serves only PK-K grades and has no recent test data, making its academic quality difficult to assess.

The most striking finding is the educational inequity within this single zip code. Coldwater's Oxford City district ranks in the 73rd percentile, while Anniston City district—which includes Randolph Park and Cobb—ranks in the 11th percentile. This means a child's educational opportunities depend heavily on which side of a district boundary they live on. Additionally, Coldwater's strong early-grade performance fades by 4th grade, where math proficiency drops below the state average, suggesting early intervention programs may not sustain. Wellborn shows dramatic year-to-year swings in math scores, possibly due to small class sizes. While poverty correlates with lower performance, Coldwater proves that moderate poverty levels (56.78%) don't prevent academic success, indicating that district support and resource allocation play crucial roles in outcomes.