Best Elementary Schools in Zip Code 39071

Zip code 39071 is home to just one public elementary school, East Flora Elementary, serving grades PK-5 with 249 students as part of the top-rated Madison County Schools district. Because it is the only elementary option in the area, this school alone defines the educational landscape for the community's youngest learners. The school benefits from a favorable student-teacher ratio of 10.5, but it serves a largely economically disadvantaged population, with nearly 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

East Flora Elementary shows a mixed academic profile when compared with its district and the state. In 2025-2026 MAAP testing, the school posted notable results in 5th grade science (75.8% proficient, exceeding the state's 71.5%) and 4th grade ELA (56.3%, above the state average of 52.4%). The school also posted a solid 10.8-point gain in 3rd grade math, rising from 42.8% to 53.6% proficiency. However, the school trails its district by roughly 21 points overall and lags the state in several key areas, including 3rd grade ELA (35.7% vs. 48.5% statewide) and 4th grade math (31.3% vs. 51.5%). Statewide, the school ranks 204th out of 377 elementary schools, a slight improvement from 226th the prior year, though still below its 2023-2024 peak of 172nd.

Two significant concerns stand out for parents. Chronic absenteeism affects 25.1% of students, higher than both the district rate of 20.4% and the state rate of 23.9%, meaning roughly one in four students misses substantial school time. Additionally, the school has seen large year-over-year swings in test scores, with 4th grade ELA jumping 21.8 points and 3rd grade ELA dropping 11.2 points, which may point to small cohort sizes or shifting instructional alignment. Despite these challenges, the school is moving in the right direction—its statewide rank improved and meaningful gains were made across multiple subjects. For families in 39071, East Flora Elementary offers low class sizes and pockets of strong academic performance, but math and reading gaps, along with absenteeism, remain the key areas to watch.