Schools in Decatur, AL

The city of Decatur, Alabama, is served by 22 schools across the Decatur City and Morgan County districts, offering a range of elementary, middle, and high school options for approximately 10,000 students.

For parents, the standout choice at the elementary level is Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School, which ranks in the 95th percentile statewide with 3rd-grade English proficiency at 93.55% and remarkably low chronic absenteeism of just 1.3%. At the middle and high school levels, the Morgan County schools in Priceville lead the way: Priceville Junior High School achieves 72.26% proficiency in 8th-grade math (nearly triple the state average), while Priceville High School boasts a 98.3% graduation rate. In contrast, West Decatur Elementary School struggles significantly, with only 13.11% proficiency in 4th-grade science and 81.08% of students on free/reduced lunch. Among the larger high schools, Austin High School posts a strong 96.7% graduation rate, while Decatur High School stands out for its exceptionally low chronic absenteeism at 4.0% despite serving a high-poverty population.

Several patterns emerge for families comparing options. The socioeconomic achievement gap is evident: schools with higher poverty rates like BanksCaddell Elementary School and Frances Nungester Elementary School generally rank lower, though Leon Sheffield proves that effective programming can overcome economic challenges. Middle school math is a district-wide weakness, with Decatur Middle School and Austin Middle School both falling well below state averages. Notably, per-student spending shows no correlation with outcomes—Eastwood Elementary School spends the most ($15,088/student) while Priceville Junior High spends the least ($7,526) yet achieves top rankings. Finally, Oak Park Elementary School shows promising improvement, jumping from the 3rd to 23rd percentile in one year, suggesting that turnaround is possible even in challenging circumstances.