Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 36693

Zip code 36693 in Mobile, Alabama is home to four elementary schools serving approximately 1,810 students in grades PK-5 or PK-6, including three traditional public schools within the Mobile County district and one public charter school, Covenant Academy of Mobile, which operates as its own district.

For parents comparing schools, Kate Shepard Elementary School stands out as the strongest academic performer in the area, leading all schools in math (28.8% proficient), English (55.7%), and science (41.9%) proficiency. It is also the only school showing consistent improvement in state rankings over three years, moving from the 23rd to 32nd percentile. Olive J Dodge Elementary School is the largest school with 862 students and posts similar English scores (55.2%) but slightly lower math scores (22.6%), while showing a concerning downward ranking trend. Covenant Academy of Mobile has the highest poverty rate (82.9% free/reduced lunch) and generally the lowest test scores, though it showed dramatic improvement in 4th grade math from 5.4% to 35.9% in one year. HL Sonny Callahan School for the Deaf and Blind is a specialized institution with just 45 students and a remarkable 5:1 student-teacher ratio, but its per-student spending of $113,371 reflects the intensive resources required for its unique population.

The most striking finding is that no school in this zip code meets or exceeds state proficiency averages in any subject, with math being a particular weakness—even the best school trails the state average by roughly 13 percentage points. English performance is comparatively stronger, with Olive J Dodge exceeding the district average in 5th grade. Attendance is generally positive, with three of four schools beating the district's 12.8% chronic absenteeism rate. Test scores show significant year-to-year volatility across all schools, suggesting small cohort sizes or inconsistent instruction. High poverty levels (72-83% at three schools) correlate with lower performance, though Kate Shepard demonstrates that improvement is possible despite serving a 75% free/reduced lunch population.