Harlan Elementary School

Harlan Elementary School is one of the mid-sized K-5 schools in Florence, Alabama, operated by Florence City, with 426 students on its rolls from grades K through 5.

Florence City runs 8 schools in total, collectively educating 4,574 students. Harlan Elementary School is one of those campuses.

Looking at the student body, Harlan Elementary School lists that the most-represented group is Black (46%), with the rest of the student body spread across multiple groups. Other groups include 28% White, 21% multiracial, 4% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 9% Black, putting the school's mix noticeably more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at school resources, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 11.8:1 students per teacher. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.0:1, putting Harlan Elementary School tighter than the state norm the norm. Around 85% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. By comparison, Lauderdale County runs at roughly 47%, so the school's eligibility rate is above the surrounding baseline.

After controlling for student poverty, Harlan Elementary School sits in the top 10% of Alabama schools after the BeatsExpectations adjustment. Predicted proficiency for the school's FRL share is roughly 22.4%; actual is 45.4%, +22.9 points clear of the demographic baseline.

In the surrounding community, census data for Lauderdale County shows median household earnings sit near $62,649, about 30% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 9%. Across Lauderdale County's 24 public schools (combined enrollment of about 12,526 students), Harlan Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is Hibbett Elementary School, roughly 1.0 miles away. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Harlan Elementary School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, above the local average of 35.8%.

Geographically, the school is in a high-density area.

Looking at the recent track record. Harlan Elementary School's enrollment has changed only slightly since 2018, when it stood at 426 (now 426). Over the same period, the Black share fell from 67% to 46%. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 14.2:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the feed for Harlan Elementary School typically covers science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.