Florence Howard Elementary School, Mobile AL

Original Research by School Decision on Florence Howard Elementary School

Florence Howard Elementary School serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Mobile County public school system. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet school. The school sits in a mid-size port city that functions as a regional economic hub, with major industrial employers including the port, aerospace manufacturing, and shipbuilding. The city has a mix of historic downtown districts and sprawling suburban development, and many parts of the city are car-dependent. The school itself is located on Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Avenue.

The student body is predominantly Black, with a very small share of white students and an even smaller share of Hispanic students. A substantial majority of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school enrolls several hundred students across its grade span, with class sizes that are typical for a neighborhood elementary school of this size.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year, the first year for which data was available in this dataset, show a mixed picture across subjects. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient was above half in grades four and five, and below half in grade three. In mathematics, proficiency rates were substantially lower across all tested grades, with fewer than one in four students meeting the bar. In science, the only tested grade, fourth grade, had about three in ten students reaching proficiency. When compared to other districts in Mobile County, the school's overall proficiency index falls above the midpoint.

Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no high school graduation rate to report, which is expected for a school of this grade band. The district itself has not reported recent strategic changes or major shifts that would affect families.

The neighborhood around the school has housing values that are well below the state and national medians, making this one of the more affordable areas in the city for homebuyers. Rents are also relatively low. The area has seen a slight decline in home values over the past year.

Families considering this school should weigh the relative strength in English language arts performance against the lower math and science outcomes. A parent may want to ask the school about its math instruction and support programs, given the gap between math and reading results. The supportive community context is one of high economic need, with a very large share of students qualifying for meal assistance, which often means the school participates in programs like universal free meals and may have wraparound services. The school's location in a major city means it has access to the cultural institutions, healthcare systems, and employers that define the area, though the immediate neighborhood is distinct from the city's downtown commercial core.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 37% · ▼ 21 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 35% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 37% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 57% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 54% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 38% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolMobile County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income17%Higher-income0%17 pp gap