Summary:
Zip code 36617 in Mobile, Alabama is served by two elementary schools within the Mobile County district: ChastangFournier Middle School (serving grades K-8) and Holloway Elementary (serving grades K-5), both of which serve predominantly low-income families with over 91% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
Both schools face significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates well below district and state averages in math, English, and science. ChastangFournier has a larger enrollment (503 students) and a higher student-teacher ratio (19.3:1) compared to Holloway (483 students, 16.4:1). Despite Holloway's better staffing ratio, its ranking has declined sharply from the 23rd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 8th percentile in 2025-2026, while ChastangFournier has remained relatively stable in the 9th-14th percentile range. ChastangFournier spends more per student ($9,626 vs. $8,889) yet achieves lower math scores in most grade levels, raising questions about resource allocation. Both schools struggle with chronic absenteeism (15.8% at ChastangFournier, 14.2% at Holloway), exceeding the state rate of 12.0%.
One of the most striking findings is the dramatic "middle school cliff" in mathematics at ChastangFournier, where 3rd grade math proficiency of 33.33% plummets to just 1.64% by 7th grade—a 95% decrease. However, their 8th grade science proficiency of 37.96% suggests students can excel with engaging instruction. Both schools consistently outperform in English compared to math, with 3rd grade English proficiency at ChastangFournier reaching 50% versus 33.33% in math. A notable anomaly occurred at ChastangFournier in 2024-2025 when 4th grade English proficiency dropped to just 6.25% before recovering to 38.1% the following year, suggesting a cohort-specific issue or instructional disruption. For parents, these insights point to the importance of targeted math intervention in upper grades and attendance initiatives as the most promising paths to improvement.
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