Shades Cahaba Elementary School

Shades Cahaba Elementary School operates as a middle-of-the-pack elementary campus in Homewood, Alabama, one of the schools within Homewood City. Current enrollment sits at 507 students spanning grades K through 5.

Homewood City runs 5 schools in total, collectively educating 4,492 students. Shades Cahaba Elementary School is one of those campuses.

On the student-mix side, Shades Cahaba Elementary School lists that White students make up the majority at 76%; the rest is composed of 9% Black, 8% Hispanic, 5% multiracial, 3% Asian. That is noticeably more White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 48%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Shades Cahaba Elementary School has 40 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 12.7:1. The state averages around 17.0:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 22% of students at Shades Cahaba Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. Set against Jefferson County (around 52%), the school's rate is noticeably below typical.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, Shades Cahaba Elementary School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 67.9%; this one delivers 81.8%.

Across the wider county, Jefferson County reports that median household income runs about $66,388, about 36% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. In all, Jefferson County runs 181 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,401 students), of which Shades Cahaba Elementary School is one.

Jefferson County Virtual School is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.8 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Among the 8 schools in that immediate cluster with test data (this one included), Shades Cahaba Elementary School ranks 1st on composite proficiency, higher than the local average of 37.0%.

Geographically, the school is in a commuter-belt area.

Looking at the recent track record. Shades Cahaba Elementary School's enrollment has declined 12% since 2018, when it stood at 577 (now 507). The White share of enrollment grew from 68% to 76% over that span. Class-load math has pulled in: from 14.7:1 in 2018 to 12.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.