Elementary Schools in Marion County

The four elementary schools in Marion County—Hamilton Elementary School, Guin Elementary School, Hackleburg Elementary School, and Phillips Elementary School—serve students from pre-kindergarten through grades 4 to 6 in a rural Alabama district that ranks in the top 74th percentile statewide.

Hamilton Elementary School is the clear academic leader, earning a 5-star rating and ranking in the 92nd percentile for 2025-2026. Its 3rd-grade math proficiency (82.3%) is nearly double the state average, and it outperforms district and state averages across nearly all subjects. Hackleburg Elementary School is the most improved, jumping from the 47th to the 85th percentile in just two years while maintaining the district’s lowest chronic absenteeism rate at 5.5%. Guin Elementary School also performs well, with strong 3rd-grade math (83.33%) and 5th-grade English (86.11%) scores, though its performance dips in later grades. Phillips Elementary School lags behind, ranking in the 41st percentile with the highest chronic absenteeism (26.8%) and the highest free/reduced lunch rate (68.75%).

Across the district, English proficiency consistently outpaces math, and early-grade performance is strong—all four schools beat the state average in 3rd-grade English. However, proficiency tends to decline as students advance, suggesting a need for stronger upper-elementary support. Notably, per-student spending does not predict success: Guin spends the most ($10,376) yet trails Hamilton, which spends less ($9,916), while Hackleburg spends the least ($8,239) and shows the most dramatic improvement. The strong correlation between low absenteeism and high performance suggests that attendance-focused strategies, particularly at Phillips, could be a high-impact way to boost outcomes.