Elementary Schools in Henry County

Henry County, Alabama is home to two elementary schools—Headland Elementary School and Abbeville Elementary School—serving students from pre-kindergarten through 5th and 6th grades, respectively, in a largely rural district.

These two schools offer very different educational experiences. Headland Elementary School is the larger of the two, with 898 students, and is the clear academic standout. It ranks in the top 40% of Alabama elementary schools with a 3-star rating, and its students consistently score well above district and state averages in math, English, and science. English proficiency is a particular strength, with 5th graders achieving a 74.5% proficiency rate. Chronic absenteeism is also impressively low at just 4.7%. In contrast, Abbeville Elementary School is much smaller (338 students) and faces significant challenges. It ranks in the bottom 15% of schools with a 1-star rating, and test scores lag far behind in every subject and grade level. For example, 3rd-grade math proficiency is just 19.35% compared to Headland's 59.74%, and 6th-grade math proficiency is a concerning 5.56%.

A key takeaway is that Abbeville Elementary School actually spends more per student ($10,642 vs. $8,349) and has a better student-teacher ratio (12.4:1 vs. 17.6:1) than Headland Elementary School, yet its outcomes are dramatically lower. This suggests the challenges at Abbeville are tied to high poverty levels—nearly 75% of its students qualify for free/reduced lunch compared to 44% at Headland—rather than a lack of resources. For parents, this means Headland offers a consistently high-performing environment with strong literacy instruction, while Abbeville is a school in need of targeted support, particularly in math, where urgent intervention is needed to help students catch up.