Summary:
Zip code 36323 is home to a single elementary school, Elba Elementary School, which serves grades PK-6 within the Elba City district, enrolling 379 students in a predominantly low-income area where over 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
For parents considering Elba Elementary School, the most notable strength is English Language Arts. In the most recent school year, 5th-grade English proficiency reached 74.36% and 6th-grade reached 63.83%, both exceeding state averages of 69.53% and 56.77% respectively. The school also showed dramatic improvement in 3rd-grade Math, jumping from 38.3% to 58.21% proficiency, now well above the state average. However, Science is a significant concern, with 4th-grade proficiency at just 32.61% compared to the state's 50.23%—a gap of nearly 18 points. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 12.6% is slightly above the state average of 12.0% but notably better than the district's 17.8%. With a student-teacher ratio of 15.1:1 and per-student spending of $10,647, the school provides a relatively supportive learning environment despite its challenges.
One interesting takeaway is the paradox between the school's declining state ranking and improving test scores. Elba Elementary School has slipped from the 63rd to the 50th percentile in state rankings over three years, yet several subject scores are rising—suggesting other schools are improving faster. Additionally, test scores show significant year-over-year volatility, such as 5th-grade Math dropping from 57.78% to 46.15%, likely due to small class sizes where individual cohorts heavily influence percentages. The Elba City district holds a 1-star rating and ranks 100th out of 139 districts, though this appears influenced by factors beyond academics. Overall, parents should expect strong English instruction, improving Math in early grades, but should be aware of the Science gap and the school's socioeconomic challenges.
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