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Westhills Elementary School

Summary:

Westhills Elementary School is a public elementary school in Bessemer, Alabama, serving 315 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Bessemer City School District, which is ranked 129 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Westhills Elementary School faces significant challenges in supporting student learning and achievement. The school consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of Alabama elementary schools, with only 2.08% of 3rd-grade students proficient or better in mathematics, compared to the Bessemer City average of 12.35% and the state average of 42.16%. The school has a high percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with 74.92% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 22.5. Nearby schools in the Bessemer City district, such as Greenwood Elementary, Abrams Elementary, and Charles F. Hard Elementary, also struggle academically, but Westhills Elementary consistently ranks lower than these schools.

The high percentage of African American students at Westhills Elementary School (87.62%) is notable, as this population is also underperforming compared to the state and district averages on academic assessments. The school's ranking for African American students is 339 out of 420 Alabama elementary schools, suggesting that the school faces significant challenges in addressing the needs of this student subgroup. Despite the school's higher per-student spending of $14,067 in the 2018-2019 school year compared to nearby schools, the complex needs of its student population likely require additional targeted resources and support to improve student learning and achievement.


Detail:

Public K-5

 710 Glenn Rd
       Bessemer, AL  35022

(205) 432-3500

District: Bessemer City

SchoolDigger Rank:
623rd of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,067 Help


Students who attend Westhills Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Bessemer City Middle School
High:    Bessemer City High School

Student/teacher ratio:  22.5 Help
Number of students:  315

Racial breakdown:

African American:
87.6%
Hispanic:
7.9%
White:
3.2%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  74.9% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Westhills Elementary School ranks worse than 91.1% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 2nd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.42. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (87.6%), Hispanic (7.9%), White (3.2%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 74.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the lowest percentage in the Bessemer City School District. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Westhills Elementary School is 22.5, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District! (See more...)
Help
Compare Westhills Elementary School employs 14 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Westhills Elementary School is $14,067, which is the highest among 5 elementary schools in the Bessemer City School District!
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Westhills Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Westhills Elementary School 623rd of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Westhills Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:


Bessemer City:

SchoolDigger ranks Bessemer City 129th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Westhills Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Westhills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 45.74 365th 623 41.4%
2005 57.09 298th 688 56.7%
2006 57.66 295th 689 57.2%
2007 42.75 455th 698 34.8%
2008 65.71 226th 698 67.6%
2009 62.22 264th 696 62.1%
2010 49.32 426th 704 39.5%
2011 62.98 285th 709 59.8%
2012 75.08 130th 696 81.3%
2013 53.05 401st 696 42.4%
2014 17.55 602nd 695 13.4%
2015 24.79 539th 691 22.0%
2016 21.18 556th 691 19.5%
2017 24.63 533rd 688 22.5%
2018 26.29 507th 680 25.4%
2019 36.89 453rd 681 33.5%
2021 19.19 560th 692 19.1%
2022 11.42 628th 687 8.6%
2023 11.21 622nd 680 8.5%
2024 11.42 623rd 684 8.9%
See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Westhills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 38.70 380th 567 33.0%
2018 29.50 495th 651 24.0%
2019 38.22 423rd 649 34.8%
2021 30.29 463rd 653 29.1%
2022 15.13 581st 651 10.8%
2023 13.80 574th 623 7.9%
2024 13.55 618th 670 7.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Westhills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 14.37 575th 639 10.0%
2018 26.96 501st 640 21.7%
2019 47.34 363rd 646 43.8%
2021 17.98 550th 656 16.2%
2022 14.12 583rd 656 11.1%
2023 11.71 592nd 645 8.2%
2024 11.40 611th 650 6.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Westhills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 38.36 415th 639 35.1%
2018 31.50 458th 650 29.5%
2019 37.47 425th 650 34.6%
2021 23.96 496th 669 25.9%
2022 11.88 614th 669 8.2%
2023 12.84 575th 649 11.4%
2024 14.77 567th 655 13.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Westhills Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 53.87 175th 423 58.6%
2019 68.59 96th 426 77.5%
2021 39.90 235th 426 44.8%
2022 20.83 380th 426 10.8%
2023 22.13 367th 427 14.1%
2024 26.76 339th 420 19.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Westhills Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Westhills Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 277 277
1989 199 242 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 441
1990 207 286 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 493
1991 183 262 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 445
1992 150 272 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 422
1993 121 282 1 1 0 n/a n/a 0 405
1994 121 292 2 0 0 n/a n/a 0 415
1995 85 315 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 402
1996 85 315 0 1 1 n/a n/a 0 402
1997 61 309 1 2 0 n/a n/a 0 373
1998 45 366 1 2 1 n/a n/a 0 415
1999 31 418 2 3 0 n/a n/a 0 454
2000 26 380 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 406
2001 14 468 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 482
2002 8 275 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 283
2003 8 275 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 283
2004 4 283 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 287
2005 3 354 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 358
2006 4 392 1 3 0 n/a n/a 2 402
2007 6 381 0 4 0 n/a n/a 4 395
2008 9 402 0 11 0 n/a n/a 0 422
2009 7 398 3 6 0 n/a n/a 0 414
2010 10 398 0 7 0 n/a n/a 3 418
2011 9 393 0 3 0 0 0 0 405
2012 6 359 0 4 0 0 0 0 369
2013 8 382 0 8 0 0 0 0 398
2014 8 343 0 8 0 0 0 0 359
2015 5 336 0 9 0 0 2 0 352
2016 3 316 0 12 0 0 0 0 331
2017 2 320 0 12 0 0 0 0 334
2018 3 339 0 11 0 0 0 0 353
2019 6 289 0 9 0 0 5 0 309
2020 0 302 0 17 0 0 6 0 325
2021 4 280 0 16 0 0 6 0 306
2022 5 264 0 20 0 0 9 0 298
2023 10 276 0 25 0 0 4 0 315

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Westhills Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 277 15.0 18.4 0
1989 441 23.0 19.1 n/a
1990 493 27.0 18.2 0
1991 445 27.0 16.4 n/a
1992 422 25.0 16.8 n/a
1993 405 25.0 16.2 n/a
1994 415 24.7 16.8 n/a
1995 402 23.7 17.0 n/a
1996 402 23.7 17.0 n/a
1997 373 24.7 15.1 59.8
1998 415 24.5 16.9 59.3
1999 454 28.0 16.2 73.1
2000 406 29.0 14.0 71.9
2001 482 29.0 16.6 69.3
2002 283 22.2 12.7 69.6
2003 283 22.2 12.7 69.6
2004 287 19.1 15.0 68.6
2005 358 28.0 12.8 80.4
2006 402 24.0 16.7 63.5
2007 395 24.7 16.0 73.4
2008 422 25.3 16.7 66.8
2009 414 27.0 15.2 80.2
2010 418 26.0 16.0 80.7
2011 405 30.2 13.3 82
2012 369 26.8 13.7 81.3
2013 398 27.5 14.4 86.2
2014 359 23.5 15.2 79.1
2015 352 22.0 16.0 63.9
2016 331 21.0 15.7 64.4
2017 334 18.0 18.5 64.4
2018 353 19.0 18.5 78.8
2019 309 20.0 15.4 79
2020 325 18.0 18.0 78.8
2021 306 17.0 18.0 78.8
2022 298 n/a n/a 78.5
2023 315 14.0 22.5 74.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Westhills Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 277 15.0 18.4 0
1989 441 23.0 19.1 n/a
1990 493 27.0 18.2 0
1991 445 27.0 16.4 n/a
1992 422 25.0 16.8 n/a
1993 405 25.0 16.2 n/a
1994 415 24.7 16.8 n/a
1995 402 23.7 17.0 n/a
1996 402 23.7 17.0 n/a
1997 373 24.7 15.1 59.8
1998 415 24.5 16.9 59.3
1999 454 28.0 16.2 73.1
2000 406 29.0 14.0 71.9
2001 482 29.0 16.6 69.3
2002 283 22.2 12.7 69.6
2003 283 22.2 12.7 69.6
2004 287 19.1 15.0 68.6
2005 358 28.0 12.8 80.4
2006 402 24.0 16.7 63.5
2007 395 24.7 16.0 73.4
2008 422 25.3 16.7 66.8
2009 414 27.0 15.2 80.2
2010 418 26.0 16.0 80.7
2011 405 30.2 13.3 82
2012 369 26.8 13.7 81.3
2013 398 27.5 14.4 86.2
2014 359 23.5 15.2 79.1
2015 352 22.0 16.0 63.9
2016 331 21.0 15.7 64.4
2017 334 18.0 18.5 64.4
2018 353 19.0 18.5 78.8
2019 309 20.0 15.4 79
2020 325 18.0 18.0 78.8
2021 306 17.0 18.0 78.8
2022 298 n/a n/a 78.5
2023 315 14.0 22.5 74.9

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Westhills Elementary School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $2,370 (16.8%) $11,681 (83.0%) $14,067

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Westhills Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 453rd of 681 Elementary schoolsRanks 622nd of 680 Elementary schools
 25%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Westhills Elementary School)45.512
 33.5%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)25.616.3
 9.3%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)57.543.6
 13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Westhills Elementary School)37.719.6
 18.1%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)27.18.9
 18.2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)47.334.9
 12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Westhills Elementary School)42.64.3
 38.3%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Bessemer City)23.56.4
 17.2%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students309315
 1.9%
African American289276
 4.5%
American Indian00
Asian00
Hispanic925
 177.8%
Pacific Islander00
White610
 66.7%
Two or More Races54
 20%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients79%74.9%
 4%

Schools Near Westhills Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Westhills Elementary School

Students who attend Westhills Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bessemer City Middle School
High : Bessemer City High School

In the 2022-23 school year, 315 students attended Westhills Elementary School.

Students at Westhills Elementary School are 88% African American, 8% Hispanic, 3% White, 1% Two or more races.

Westhills Elementary School ranks in the bottom 8.9% of Alabama elementary schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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