Summary:
Bon Secour, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, Swift Elementary School, which enrolls 155 students in grades PK-6 within the Baldwin County district.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that Swift Elementary offers a very small, intimate learning environment with a favorable 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio, but it faces significant challenges tied to its high-poverty population—nearly three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Academically, the school shows a clear split: English proficiency is generally stronger, with 3rd graders at 68% and 5th graders at 59% proficient, while math proficiency collapses dramatically as students advance. In the most recent year, 3rd-grade math was above the state average at 53%, but by 5th grade, only 6% of students were proficient—a staggering decline that suggests a compounding learning gap. The school's state ranking has hovered in the bottom third of Alabama elementary schools, earning a 1- or 2-star rating in recent years.
One of the most concerning metrics is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 18.3%—63% higher than the district average of 11.2% and well above the state's 12%. This likely contributes to the volatile year-to-year test scores, especially given the small cohort sizes where a few students can swing percentages dramatically. On a positive note, there are signs of momentum: 3rd-grade English improved by nearly 16 points year-over-year, and 4th-grade science jumped by almost 24 points. However, the school spends a substantial $17,030 per student—well above typical Alabama levels—yet still struggles to produce strong results, suggesting that funding alone isn't solving the underlying issues of poverty, absenteeism, and math instruction. Parents should expect a caring, small-school atmosphere but should be prepared to advocate for extra math support and attendance interventions.
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