The top reported proficiency rate is 36% in English language arts. The lowest is 17% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Maryvale Elementary School
Maryvale Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Mobile County system. The school sits in a mid-size port city with a mix of industrial, commercial, and residential character, anchored by the Port of Mobile, aerospace manufacturing, shipbuilding, and healthcare. Mobile covers a large geographic footprint, and while downtown has walkable pockets along Dauphin Street and Bienville Square, most of the city is car-dependent suburban-style development. The school and its surrounding neighborhood reflect that broader pattern of the city outside the urban core.
The student body is large for an elementary school. Enrollment is heavily concentrated among students who identify as Black, with smaller shares identifying as Hispanic, White, or two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic circumstances many families in the attendance zone face. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so a parent wanting a full picture of special education supports or language services would need to ask the school directly.
Academically, state assessment results from the most recent testing year show that the school is working to improve student outcomes. In third-grade math, the share of students scoring proficient was low. By fourth grade, math proficiency was higher, but fifth-grade math was again low. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency was modest, fourth-grade was similar, and fifth-grade was higher, reaching a level that approaches half the students. Science results at fourth grade were modest. Compared with other districts in Mobile County, Maryvale's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits below the midpoint of the district set. The school has only one year of testing results in this assessment series, so there is no trend to observe yet.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, and course access was not available. A parent may wish to ask the principal about these areas directly, particularly absenteeism, which can be a concern at schools serving neighborhoods with high poverty rates.
The district, Mobile County, had no recent parent-relevant changes that were publicly available at the time of research. This means there are no new attendance zone adjustments, program launches, or policy shifts to account for when evaluating the school.
The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It does not have a stated Title I status in the data provided, though the high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch strongly suggests it serves a population that federal programs target.
Housing in the area is modest. Home values in the zip code surrounding the school are well below both the Alabama state average and the national average, making this a relatively affordable entry point for families. Rents also are below national benchmarks. The national economic context shows a 30-year fixed mortgage rate that has moved around but remains elevated relative to the low-rate years earlier this decade. A family weighing whether to rent or buy in this area would find the monthly cost of a mortgage moderately above the typical rent, which is a typical pattern in markets with lower home prices.
For a family considering this school, the central fact is that academic proficiency rates are below county averages. The student body is large and economically diverse in the sense that a large majority of families share similar income constraints. The school is within a large county system that offers some pathways for students who continue on to middle and high school, but those options are not housed at Maryvale itself. A parent who values strong academic outcomes on state tests may want to look into the school's instructional support and intervention programs more closely. A parent who prioritizes a neighborhood school where their child will be with peers from the same community may find Maryvale a natural fit, provided they are comfortable with the current achievement picture and want to engage as part of the solution.
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