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Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 36303

New rankings! Alabama test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

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At a glance

Schools

1,603

Students

Top rankedKelly Springs Elementary School533^rd of 686 Alabama elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Kelly Springs Elementary School up 12 spots statewide this year

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Summary:

Zip code 36303 in Dothan, Alabama, is home to four elementary schools—Kelly Springs Elementary School, Morris Slingluff Elementary School, Girard Elementary School, and Faine Elementary School—all serving grades K-5 (with Faine also offering Pre-K) within the Dothan City school district, which ranks in the bottom quarter of Alabama districts.

For parents, the standout choice is clearly Kelly Springs, the only school in the area with a 1-star rating. It leads every academic category by a wide margin: math proficiency averages 19.7% versus 5.7-7.0% at the other three schools, English proficiency is 48.1% compared to 27-34%, and science proficiency is 40% versus 11-18%. Kelly Springs also has the lowest poverty rate (72.5% free/reduced lunch) and the lowest chronic absenteeism (11.5%, below the state average). At the other end, Morris Slingluff has shown the most concerning decline, dropping from the 13th percentile to the 1st percentile in two years, now ranking lowest in the group despite having the second-lowest poverty rate. Faine, while still low-performing, shows the most promise for improvement—its 5th grade English proficiency jumped to 55.2%, nearly matching the district average, and its overall ranking improved from the 0th to 3rd percentile.

Key takeaways for families: attendance appears to be a critical factor, as Faine's chronic absenteeism (25.9%) coincides with its lowest math scores, while Girard's low absenteeism (7.0%) helps it outperform Morris Slingluff despite higher poverty. Spending per student does not predict success—Girard and Morris Slingluff spend the most ($11,590 and $11,567) yet rank in the 1st percentile, while Kelly Springs and Faine spend less and achieve better results. All four schools trail state averages dramatically, with math proficiency gaps of 30-40 percentage points, and scores show significant year-over-year volatility, suggesting instability in instruction or cohorts. Parents should weigh Kelly Springs' clear academic advantage against the systemic challenges facing the entire district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Girard Elementary School	Public	K-5	522 Girard Ave	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1467	380	23	16.5	89.5%	49 (12.9%)	289 (76.1%)	23 (6.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.5%)	5.1	678^th of 686 public elementary schools	1.2%		5	673^rd of 680 public elementary schools	1.0%	5	8.6	2.3	10.0	14.0	35.1	9.3	37.5	$11,590	$2,606	$8,755
Faine Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1901 Stringer St	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1455	326	22	14.8	84.4%	9 (2.8%)	296 (90.8%)	12 (3.7%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.5%)	7.6	666^th of 686 public elementary schools	2.9%		5.7	670^th of 680 public elementary schools	1.5%	4	4.2	5.9	7.1	17.7	26.0	20.6	55.2	$10,275	$2,211	$7,834
Morris Slingluff Elementary School	Public	K-5	4130 Westgate Parkway	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 794-1479	381	21	18.1	84.5%	42 (11.0%)	287 (75.3%)	39 (10.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (3.1%)	5	681^st of 686 public elementary schools	0.7%		10.1	637^th of 680 public elementary schools	6.3%	44	10.9	3.8	5.9	11.3	38.2	13.2	35.3	$11,567	$2,642	$8,694
Kelly Springs Elementary School	Public	K-5	1124 Kelly Springs Rd	Dothan	36303	Houston County	Dothan City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 983-6565	516	30	17.2	72.5%	108 (20.9%)	281 (54.5%)	81 (15.7%)	15 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (5.8%)	23.1	533^rd of 686 public elementary schools	22.3%		19.8	545^th of 680 public elementary schools	19.9%	12	16.4	12.0	30.7	40.0	41.7	50.7	52.0	$10,321	$2,045	$8,049

Cities Near Zip Code 36303

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Dothan	1.14 mi	23	235^th
Midland City	7.37 mi	2	156^th
Headland	7.4 mi	3	82^nd
Webb	7.62 mi	1	29^th
Rehobeth	9.28 mi	2	35^th

See the top AL Alabama cities

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.