Lowndes County

The Lowndes County school district in Alabama serves approximately 1,109 students across 7 schools—3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools—in a rural, high-poverty area where all schools have free/reduced lunch rates above 74%.

For parents, the standout school in this district is Fort Deposit Elementary School, which dramatically outperforms its peers despite serving a student body where 87% qualify for free/reduced lunch. Fort Deposit has the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rate at just 2.3% (compared to the district average of 19%), and its 3rd grade math proficiency of 53% far exceeds the district average of 34%. It also improved its state ranking by 189 positions in just two years. JacksonSteele Elementary School is another bright spot, particularly in English Language Arts, where its 5th grade proficiency reached an extraordinary 86% in 2024-2025. Among high schools, Calhoun High School outperforms Central High School with a higher graduation rate (86.3% vs. 80.4%) and better test scores across all subjects.

The district faces serious challenges, particularly in mathematics. Fifth grade math proficiency averages just 9.7% district-wide versus 39% statewide, and the middle school years show a dramatic decline—7th grade math proficiency is a mere 1.5% at both Hayneville Middle School and Lowndes County Middle School. By 11th grade, proficiency rates are nearly non-existent, with district averages of just 2.25% in math and science. Chronic absenteeism is a clear predictor of performance—schools with lower absenteeism, like Fort Deposit and JacksonSteele, perform better academically, while Central Elementary School and Lowndes County Middle (both above 25% absenteeism) struggle the most. Notably, higher per-student spending doesn't guarantee better results—Central High spends the most ($15,465 per student) yet ranks lowest, while Fort Deposit spends the least ($11,888) and performs best.