Summary:
Zip code 36867 in Phenix City, Alabama, is home to five elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th grade, with a combined enrollment of roughly 2,660 students across the Phenix City school district.
For parents, the standout choice is Lakewood Elementary School, which consistently ranks in the top quartile statewide (76th-91st percentile) and posts the highest proficiency rates in science and 5th-grade English. Its feeder school, Lakewood Primary School, also has the lowest poverty rate (34.76%) and strong attendance, creating a well-coordinated pipeline for academic success. Meanwhile, Sherwood Elementary School is the most improved, jumping 125 spots in state ranking in one year—5th-grade English surged from 65.79% to 84.21%—while boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the area at just 2.9%. At the other end, Phenix City Elementary School consistently ranks in the bottom 20th percentile, with the highest poverty rate (73.65%) and lowest proficiency scores across nearly every subject. Westview Elementary School sits in the middle, with moderate performance and the highest per-student spending ($9,551) yet no academic advantage over lower-spending schools.
Key takeaways for families: poverty strongly correlates with performance, but Sherwood proves that high-poverty schools can excel with strong attendance and targeted interventions. The district struggles with chronic absenteeism (15.1% vs. 12.0% statewide), though this is concentrated at Westview and Phenix City. Math proficiency declines from 3rd to 5th grade across all schools, signaling a need for upper-grade math support. Finally, higher spending does not guarantee better outcomes—Lakewood Elementary achieves top results with the lowest per-student funding ($8,237). Parents should weigh these factors carefully when choosing a school.
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