Gwin Elementary School vs Brocks Gap Intermediate School

Gwin Elementary School holds a 0.5-point edge over Brocks Gap Intermediate School in overall rating — 9.4 versus 8.9 out of 10 — and that gap is amplified by their state standings. Gwin ranks #14 of 1,356 Alabama schools while Brocks Gap sits at #67, a difference of 53 positions in a field of over a thousand. Both schools are located in Hoover, Alabama, just 4.5 miles apart, so for many families the choice comes down to program fit and specific performance differences rather than geography.

On academics, the two schools are dead even: both Gwin Elementary School and Brocks Gap Intermediate School score 9.1 out of 10, meaning neither pulls ahead on raw proficiency. The sharper distinction appears in growth scores. Gwin's 9.4 growth score outpaces Brocks Gap's 8.5 by nearly a full point — a meaningful signal that students at Gwin are gaining ground at a faster rate relative to their starting points, regardless of where they begin. For families prioritizing year-over-year academic momentum, that 0.9-point growth gap matters more than the identical proficiency snapshot.

Gwin Elementary School enrolls 516 students against Brocks Gap Intermediate School's 495, a modest size difference. The more consequential distinction is the student-teacher ratio: Gwin runs 12.9 students per teacher while Brocks Gap sits at 15.5, giving Gwin a 2.6-student-per-teacher advantage in classroom density. On socioeconomic composition, the schools diverge sharply — Gwin's free and reduced-price lunch rate is 47% compared to Brocks Gap's 22%, indicating Gwin serves a substantially broader income range and a higher share of economically disadvantaged students.

The grade structures are not equivalent and define much of the choice. Gwin Elementary School spans prekindergarten through fifth grade, making it a full early-childhood-through-elementary option. Brocks Gap Intermediate School serves only grades three through five, functioning as an upper-elementary transition school. Families with children below third grade have no pathway into Brocks Gap for those early years. Families already in the intermediate grades weigh the narrower band against Brocks Gap's slightly larger classroom sizes and more homogeneous economic profile.