Best Public Schools in Laceys Spring, AL

Laceys Spring, Alabama, is served by a single school, Laceys Spring Elementary School, a rural PK-8 institution within the Morgan County district, enrolling 277 students with a 15.7:1 student-teacher ratio.

For parents, the most important story here is a tale of two halves. In the early grades, this school is a quiet success story. Despite nearly 74% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 3rd and 4th graders outperform the state average in math (50% and 53.9% proficient, respectively, versus 44.9% and 42.1% statewide). English scores in 4th grade (61.5%) and science in 4th grade (51.3%) also match or exceed state benchmarks. This suggests the primary-grade instruction is effective and building a solid foundation. However, that foundation crumbles dramatically as students move into the middle school years. The data reveals a severe "middle school cliff," particularly in math. Proficiency plummets from 50% in 3rd grade to just 4.6% in 8th grade—a staggering decline that leaves 8th graders nearly 33 percentage points behind the district average (37.2%). English follows a similar, though less extreme, pattern, with 8th grade proficiency at 27.3% versus the district's 62.4%. The 8th grade science score (36.4%) is also far below the district (63.2%).

This decline is the single most urgent issue facing the school. The transition to middle school grades within this PK-8 setting appears to be where students fall off track, possibly due to a lack of specialized subject teachers or targeted interventions for that age group. The problem is compounded by a chronic absenteeism rate of 12.7%, which is higher than the district's 9.3% and slightly above the state's 12.0%. While the school's state ranking improved to a 3-star rating in 2024-2025, it slipped back to 2 stars for 2025-2026, reflecting the recent year-over-year declines in most subjects. The school's early-grade strengths provide a clear foundation to build upon, but without immediate and focused attention on the 6th-8th grade curriculum and support systems, students will continue to leave this school significantly unprepared for the academic demands of high school.