The top reported proficiency rate is 37% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Huffman Academy
Huffman Academy is a regular public elementary school in the Birmingham City Schools system, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It sits in the eastern part of Birmingham, and the surrounding housing in the area is valued well below the state median, with rents also comparatively modest by national standards. That makes this part of the city an option for families seeking relative affordability within a major metro area.
The student body is large for an elementary school. The composition is overwhelmingly Black, with a substantial Hispanic minority and very small representation from white, Asian, or multiracial families. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that signals a high level of economic need across the school.
State testing results from the 2024-2025 school year give a clear picture of academic performance at Huffman. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient hovered in the low-to-mid range across third, fourth, and fifth grades. In math, proficiency was much lower, with single-digit or low double-digit rates in every tested grade. Science results, available only for fourth grade, also showed a very low proficiency rate. When these results are combined into an overall proficiency index and placed alongside other school systems in Jefferson County, Huffman sits below the midpoint of the county, meaning most districts in the area posted stronger results. Only a single year of data is available here, so it is not possible to see whether scores are moving up or down; parents may want to ask the school whether they have observed any recent trends.
Because the school handles only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, and course access was not included in the data available.
Huffman operates within the Birmingham City Schools district, which has been undergoing a significant consolidation plan since 2023. The district is responding to declining enrollment and aging facilities by merging several schools and repurposing buildings through the end of the decade. That process could affect attendance boundaries or building conditions at Huffman over time, so families should check with the district about any upcoming changes. The district also opened a new Career Tech Academy in 2023, though that serves high school students and does not directly affect a K-5 campus. More immediately relevant is the Alabama Literacy Act, which now requires third graders who do not meet reading proficiency standards to be retained. With reading scores where they are at Huffman, the school has a strong incentive to ramp up literacy interventions.
Birmingham itself is a mid-sized city that functions as a regional hub for healthcare, banking, and higher education, anchored by UAB and several Fortune 500 headquarters. The city's population has been gradually declining, and it lost its status as Alabama's largest city after the 2020 census, though the metro area remains the state's largest. The downtown and some historic neighborhoods offer a more walkable fabric, while the broader city is car-dependent. The east side where Huffman sits is mostly suburban-style development.
For a family considering Huffman Academy, the core takeaway is a school serving a high-need population with academic results that trail most of the county, especially in math and science. The district is in a period of consolidation, and the state's third-grade retention law adds urgency to reading performance. The local housing market makes this one of the more affordable parts of Birmingham for homebuyers and renters. A parent interested in this school would want to visit, talk with staff about the literacy interventions and any upcoming boundary changes, and see how the school's academic supports match their child's needs.
See more original research from School Decision →