Green Valley Elementary School vs Shades Mountain Elementary School
Green Valley Elementary School and Shades Mountain Elementary School are very closely rated, both scoring around 9.4 out of 10. In math proficiency, Shades Mountain Elementary School leads at 67.0%.
Green Valley Elementary School
Hoover, AL
479 students
Shades Mountain Elementary School
Hoover, AL
313 students
Ratings Comparison
| Metric | Green Valley Elementary School | Shades Mountain Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.4 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 8.8 | 9.5 |
| Growth Score | 9.6 | 8.8 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 50.5% | 45.7% |
| Environment Score | 9.9 | 9.8 |
| State Rank | #12 of 1,356 | #20 of 1,356 |
| State Percentile | 99th | 99th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Green Valley Elementary School | Shades Mountain Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 51.0% | 67.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 49.0% | 62.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | Green Valley Elementary School | Shades Mountain Elementary School |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Pre-K – 5th | Pre-K – 5th |
| Enrollment | 479 | 313 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 12.6:1 | 13.6:1 |
| Per-Pupil Spending | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 50.5% | 45.7% |
| Chronic Absenteeism | — | — |
| District | Hoover City | Hoover City |
| City | Hoover | Hoover |
Neighborhood
| Metric | Hoover (35226) | Hoover (35226) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $126,053 | $126,053 |
| Median Home Value | $387,100 | $387,100 |
| Median Rent | $1,467 | $1,467 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 68.9% | 68.9% |
| Poverty Rate | 5.7% | 5.7% |
| Avg Commute | 24 min | 24 min |
The data story: Green Valley Elementary School vs Shades Mountain Elementary School
Green Valley Elementary School and Shades Mountain Elementary School sit 2.3 miles apart in Hoover, Alabama and serve the same grade span — PK through 5th — yet their MySchoolScout profiles reveal meaningful differences worth weighing. Green Valley Elementary School holds a 9.4/10 overall rating against Shades Mountain Elementary School's 9.2/10, a 0.2-point gap that translates into a clear state rank advantage: Green Valley Elementary School ranks #12 of 1356 Alabama schools while Shades Mountain Elementary School ranks #20 of 1356. Both finishes are elite, but Green Valley Elementary School sits eight spots higher in a statewide field of more than 1,300 schools.
The academic and growth scores tell a split story. Shades Mountain Elementary School leads on raw academic achievement with a 9.5/10 academic score versus Green Valley Elementary School's 8.8/10 — a seven-tenths gap that reflects higher current proficiency levels. Green Valley Elementary School turns that dynamic around on growth: its 9.6/10 growth score outpaces Shades Mountain Elementary School's 8.8/10 by 0.8 points, indicating that students at Green Valley Elementary School are advancing at a faster rate year over year regardless of where they start. Families who weigh trajectory over snapshot proficiency will read those numbers differently than families prioritizing absolute achievement benchmarks.
Green Valley Elementary School enrolls 479 students compared to Shades Mountain Elementary School's 313, making it roughly 53% larger. Despite the bigger student body, Green Valley Elementary School carries a tighter student-teacher ratio — 12.6 students per teacher versus 13.6 at Shades Mountain Elementary School — meaning each teacher at Green Valley Elementary School serves one fewer student on average. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is nearly identical: 50% at Green Valley Elementary School and 46% at Shades Mountain Elementary School, signaling comparable socioeconomic diversity between the two campuses.
Both schools serve prekindergarten through fifth grade, so grade-level access is not a differentiator. The practical distinction for most Hoover families comes down to what the academic and growth scores reveal: Shades Mountain Elementary School currently performs at a higher proficiency ceiling, while Green Valley Elementary School is accelerating students faster and delivers slightly more individual teacher attention per student despite its larger enrollment.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Green Valley Elementary School
Green Valley Elementary School fits families who prioritize academic growth velocity over current proficiency levels — particularly useful if a child is entering below grade level or if parents want to see measurable year-over-year gains. The lower student-teacher ratio (12.6:1) also makes it the better pick for kids who benefit from more individualized classroom attention in a larger, more diverse campus environment.
Shades Mountain Elementary School
Shades Mountain Elementary School suits families whose child is already performing at or above grade level and who want to stay in a high-achieving peer environment — its 9.5/10 academic score is the highest of the two schools. The smaller campus of 313 students appeals to parents who prefer a tighter-knit community feel, even at a marginally higher student-teacher ratio.