Elementary Schools in LIFE Academy

There is one elementary school in the LIFE Academy district: LIFE Academy at Historic St Jude Educational Institute, serving grades K-7 in Montgomery, Alabama, with 599 students and a high-poverty population where 82.47% qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school faces significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates well below state averages in every subject and grade level. In 2025-2026, math proficiency ranged from just 5.06% in 7th grade to 17.02% in 5th grade, compared to state averages of 24-45%. English scores were stronger but still lagged, with 5th grade leading at 44.68% proficiency versus the state's 69.53%. Science was the weakest area, with only 15.09% of 4th graders proficient. The school's ranking has improved slowly, moving from the 2nd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 6th percentile in 2025-2026, but it remains in the bottom 6% of Alabama schools.

Two critical barriers stand out. First, chronic absenteeism is 29.3%, more than double the state average of 12.0%, meaning nearly one in three students misses significant instructional time. Second, the student-teacher ratio of 24.9:1 is high, limiting individualized attention. On a positive note, math scores improved notably year-over-year in 5th grade (from 3.77% to 17.02%) and 6th grade (from 3.45% to 8.45%), though 4th grade declined sharply. English consistently outperforms math by 2-4 times across all grades, suggesting a relative strength in literacy instruction. The 5th grade consistently shows the highest proficiency in both subjects, possibly indicating an effective teacher or targeted interventions at that level. Parents should be aware that while the school is making gradual progress, the combination of high poverty, high absenteeism, and large class sizes creates substantial obstacles to academic achievement.