Summary:
There are 7 elementary schools serving grades Pre-K through 5th grade in Athens, Alabama, split between the Athens City and Limestone County districts, with a total enrollment of 3,269 students.
Brookhill Elementary School stands out as the clear academic leader, posting the highest 3rd grade math (59.34%) and English (79.12%) proficiency rates in the area—roughly 19 and 13 points above the district averages, respectively. It also has the lowest free/reduced lunch rate (41.32%) and the highest per-student spending ($12,330) among Athens City schools. At the other end, James L Cowart Elementary School struggles with the lowest 3rd grade scores (33.33% math, 51.85% English) and the highest chronic absenteeism (11.4%) in the city district, despite spending nearly $12,000 per student. Athens Elementary School and Julian Newman Elementary School fall in the middle, with Julian Newman showing stronger English scores (68.70%) and lower absenteeism (6.1%).
The two Limestone County schools, Blue Springs Elementary School and Johnson Elementary School, both show a troubling pattern: high chronic absenteeism (11.2-11.3%) and a sharp decline in 5th grade math proficiency, with Blue Springs dropping from 39.08% in 4th grade to just 27.78% in 5th grade. However, both schools excel in 5th grade English (75.00% and 72.13%, respectively). Athens Intermediate School, which serves 4th and 5th graders from the city district, achieves solid 5th grade English scores (73.43%) but only 44.48% math proficiency. Notably, spending does not guarantee results—James L Cowart spends $3,500 more per student than Athens Intermediate yet scores significantly lower, suggesting that factors like attendance and family engagement may matter more than raw funding.
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