Elementary Schools in Colbert County

The five elementary schools in Colbert County, Alabama, serve grades PK-6 and enroll a total of 1,462 students across rural communities like Tuscumbia, Leighton, and Cherokee. The district itself holds a modest 2-star rating, but that average hides dramatic differences between schools—ranging from a top-50 statewide performer to a school in the bottom third of the state.

New Bethel Elementary School is the clear standout, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 94th percentile statewide for three consecutive years. Despite having the smallest enrollment (159 students) and the lowest per-student spending ($11,103), it posts remarkable proficiency rates—including 94.44% of 4th graders proficient in English and 73.91% of 5th graders proficient in math, nearly double the state average. Hatton Elementary School is a reliable above-average option with a 3-star rating, showing particular strength in 5th grade where 82.14% of students are proficient in math. Cherokee Elementary School showed promise with a 4-star rating in 2024-2025 but slipped back to 3 stars, suggesting sensitivity to cohort changes. Colbert Heights Elementary School, the largest school, underperforms despite a relatively low poverty rate, likely hampered by a 20.7% chronic absenteeism rate—the highest in the group. Leighton Elementary School is the biggest concern, with a 2-star rating, a steady three-year decline in rankings, and only 20.93% of 5th graders proficient in math.

For parents, the key takeaway is that smaller schools tend to outperform larger ones here, and attendance matters greatly. New Bethel and Hatton—the two smallest schools—are the top performers, while the two largest lag behind. Chronic absenteeism is a district-wide issue (17.8% vs. 12.0% statewide), and it correlates strongly with lower test scores. Mathematics is the district's weakness, with a 41-percentage-point gap between the top and bottom schools. However, New Bethel proves that rural schools can achieve exceptional results, making it a model worth examining for the rest of the district.