Washington K8

Located at 115 Fourth Avenue South, in Birmingham, Alabama, Washington K8 is a moderately sized elementary-level community that instructs 617 students (grades pre-K through 8), part of Birmingham City. Compared to the state average of about 480 students per school, that is 29% bigger than typical.

Within Birmingham City, which oversees 43 schools and 20,954 students, Washington K8 is one campus in the system.

On demographics, Washington K8 records that 62% of the student body identifies as Black; the rest breaks down as 35% Hispanic. The wider county runs roughly 42% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.

Looking at the economic backdrop, On paper, Washington K8 has 30 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 20.6:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 17.0:1, putting Washington K8 higher than the state norm the norm. An estimated 75% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. Set against Jefferson County (around 52%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

With demographic context factored in, Washington K8 tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 37.1% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 34.7%.

In the broader community, ACS estimates for Jefferson County put median household earnings sit near $66,388, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 11%. In all, Jefferson County runs 181 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,401 students), of which Washington K8 is one.

Nearest neighbor: Freedom Prep Academy, around 0.2 miles off. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Washington K8. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Washington K8 at 7th of 8; the average score across the group is 38.7%.

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

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count ticked up 9%: 564 students in 2018 compared to 617 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 73% to 62% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, recent activity here tends to focus on science fair prep, picture-day reminders, and bus-route questions. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.