Summary:
Zip code 36532 in Fairhope, Alabama is home to three large elementary schools—Fairhope West Elementary, Fairhope East Elementary, and J Larry Newton School—all serving grades PK through 6 within the highly-rated Baldwin County school district.
This is an exceptional cluster of schools, with all three ranking in the top 7% of Alabama elementary schools. Fairhope West Elementary is the clear academic leader, ranking 18th in the state (97th percentile) and showing a strong upward trend from 42nd just two years ago. It posts the highest math proficiency (77.0%) and ELA proficiency (89.3%) among the three, and also spends the most per student at $10,496. Fairhope East Elementary is the consistent performer, holding steady in the 45th-59th range over three years with the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (20.7%) and solid science scores (80.8%). J Larry Newton School is the most improved, jumping an incredible 87 spots from 136th to 49th in two years, despite serving the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged students (35.7%). Its 5th-grade math (87.0%) and ELA (93.5%) proficiency rates are actually the highest of any grade across all three schools.
All three schools dramatically outperform district and state averages in every subject. For example, 6th-grade math proficiency at Fairhope West (71.4%) is double the state average (35.2%). Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 5.2-5.4%, less than half the district rate of 11.2%, indicating strong family engagement. While math proficiency tends to decline from 3rd to 6th grade at all schools, Fairhope West showed a 19-point single-year jump in 3rd-grade math. Interestingly, higher spending doesn't always correlate with better results—Fairhope East spends $2,310 less per student than Fairhope West yet achieves similar high rankings. Families in this area can expect excellent educational outcomes regardless of which of these three schools their child attends.
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