Summary:
Zip code 36613 in Eight Mile, Alabama, is served by two elementary schools—Collins-Rhodes Elementary School and Indian Springs Elementary School—both part of the Mobile County school district and both serving grades PK-5.
Indian Springs is the clear standout in this area. It ranks in the 19th-25th percentile statewide (1 star), while Collins-Rhodes ranks in the 2nd-4th percentile (0 stars). Indian Springs outperforms Collins-Rhodes in every subject and grade level tested. For example, in 5th grade English, Indian Springs posts a 60% proficiency rate versus 36% at Collins-Rhodes, and in 3rd grade math, Indian Springs reaches 28.57% compared to 14.46%. The attendance gap is equally striking: Indian Springs has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.3%, while Collins-Rhodes sits at 17.3%. Interestingly, Collins-Rhodes actually spends more per student ($9,411 vs. $8,708) and has a slightly higher student-teacher ratio (18.2:1 vs. 17.6:1), yet achieves far lower results—suggesting that funding alone doesn't drive success. Both schools serve high-poverty populations, with free/reduced lunch rates of 85.85% at Collins-Rhodes and 78.03% at Indian Springs.
For parents, the key takeaway is that Indian Springs is the stronger choice academically, particularly in English Language Arts, where its 5th grade proficiency (60%) approaches the state average (69.53%). However, both schools trail district and state averages in nearly every category. Collins-Rhodes faces serious challenges, including an alarming 4th grade math proficiency of just 6.58%—a dramatic drop from the prior year—and declining English scores in 3rd and 4th grades. The data strongly suggests that addressing chronic absenteeism at Collins-Rhodes could be the highest-leverage intervention, given the clear correlation between attendance and achievement. Neither school has shown significant ranking movement over three years, indicating entrenched performance patterns that may require substantial, targeted support to change.
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