The top reported proficiency rate is 59% in English language arts. The lowest is 24% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Chapman Elementary School
Chapman Elementary School is a regular public school in Huntsville serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. The school is part of the Huntsville City district and sits in a residential area of the city. Its enrollment is small for an elementary school serving this grade band, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The student body is predominantly white, with a notable minority of Black students and smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Asian. Data on the share of students receiving special education services or classified as English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these supports.
Academic achievement results are available from Alabama’s state assessment for the most recent year. The picture varies by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency is strongest at fourth grade, where a solid majority of students meet the bar, and at third grade, where about three-fifths do. Fifth-grade ELA proficiency is lower, falling below half. In math, the pattern is starker: fourth-grade proficiency is at a similar level to its ELA counterpart, while third grade is much lower, and fifth grade is very weak. Science is tested only in fourth grade and sits at a similar level to math and ELA in that grade. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school’s overall proficiency places it at the lower end relative to districts in Madison County. Because only one year of data is available, there is no trend to compare. The school does not serve high school grades, so no graduation rate applies.
Huntsville itself is a fast-growing city with a technology and aerospace-driven economy, anchored by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, the Redstone Arsenal military base, and Cummings Research Park, one of the largest research parks in the country. Major employers include defense contractors, automotive manufacturing, and a Meta data center. The city has grown substantially in recent years through annexation and economic development, and it is among the faster-growing cities in the United States. These dynamics shape the broader context families live in, though the school’s own data does not speak to whether its students’ families are directly employed in these sectors. Housing in the area around the school is somewhat more affordable than the national median, and rents have risen moderately, reflecting the growing market.
For families considering Chapman, the academic data points to a school where English language arts results are generally more solid than math, with a notable dip in the upper elementary grades in both subjects. The small enrollment may mean smaller class sizes, though staffing data was not provided to confirm. No information was available on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, or course access, so those are areas a family would need to investigate through the school or district. The district recently shifted to a balanced calendar starting earlier in late July or early August, which affects summer plans and childcare scheduling on an ongoing basis.
This is a school where a parent would want to engage directly with the principal and teachers to understand how the school supports students who are struggling in math, especially as they move into fourth and fifth grade. It is also a school where the city’s growth and economic dynamism mean that the broader community is changing, and a family may want to ask how that affects enrollment and resources at the school level. Chapman serves a specific neighborhood in Huntsville, and for families living nearby, it is the assigned elementary option within the Huntsville City system with a mixed but transparent academic profile.
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