Elba City

Elba City is a small Alabama school district with just two schools—Elba Elementary School (PK-6) and Elba High School (7-12)—serving about 603 students in a low-income community where roughly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The district is a tale of two very different schools. Elba Elementary School is the clear bright spot, earning a 3-star rating and showing strong results in English and early math. Fifth graders beat the state average in English (74% vs. 70%) and math (46% vs. 39%), while third grade math jumped nearly 20 points year-over-year to 58% proficiency. In contrast, Elba High School struggles significantly, with only 13.5% of 11th graders proficient in math (half the state average) and just 10% of 7th graders meeting math standards. The high school also has a chronic absenteeism rate of 26.1%—more than double the state average and the elementary school's 12.6% rate. Despite spending $1,880 more per student than the elementary school, the high school's graduation rate (89.1%) trails the state (91.5%).

The most striking pattern is the "middle school cliff"—English proficiency drops from 74% in 5th grade to 42% in 7th grade and just 11% by 11th grade. Science is weak across both schools, with 4th graders 17 points below state averages. However, there is hope: the high school improved its ranking from the 7th to 27th percentile and showed year-over-year gains in nearly every subject, including 11th grade science jumping from 8.7% to 27% proficiency. The district also faces a 41% enrollment drop between elementary and high school, suggesting families may be leaving for neighboring districts. For parents, Elba Elementary School offers solid foundations, but the transition to Elba High School requires careful attention to attendance and academic support.