Summary:
The two elementary schools serving Alexander City, Alabama—Jim Pearson Elementary School (grades PK-2) and Nathaniel H Stephens Elementary School (grades 3-4)—enroll about 1,140 students combined in a small, mid-tier district ranked 79th out of 139 in Alabama.
For parents, the standout story is at Stephens, which serves the older elementary grades and shows real strengths alongside clear challenges. Its 3rd grade English proficiency (69.49%) actually beats the state average (64.75%), a notable achievement given that 71.3% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The school also improved its overall state ranking from the 28th to the 37th percentile in one year. However, math proficiency is a major concern—only 26.55% of 3rd graders and 31.03% of 4th graders are proficient, roughly 15 points below state averages. Science scores jumped 15 points year-over-year to 43.35%, still below the state mark but trending positively. Jim Pearson, serving the youngest students, has no test data but stands out for its low chronic absenteeism (6.6%, well under the state's 12.0%) and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1, which is developmentally appropriate for early grades. Both schools keep absenteeism far below district and state averages, suggesting strong family engagement.
The most striking takeaway is the ELA-math gap at Stephens—3rd grade reading proficiency is 2.6 times higher than math—pointing to a literacy focus that hasn't translated to numeracy. Since Stephens is the only school serving grades 3-4 in the Alexander City district, its scores essentially define district averages. With near-identical per-student spending ($9,491 vs. $9,475), the district's best opportunity is to replicate Stephens' literacy success in math instruction, while ensuring Jim Pearson builds strong foundational math skills in PK-2 to prevent the deficit from taking root.
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