Summary:
The Selma City school district serves approximately 2,301 students across 8 schools, including 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, and 2 high schools, in a community facing significant socioeconomic challenges.
For parents, the standout school in the district is Meadowview Elementary School, which ranks dramatically higher than its peers and posts the strongest academic results. Meadowview achieves 40.91% proficiency in 3rd grade math (double the district average) and 56.76% in 4th grade English, while also having the lowest chronic absenteeism (8.9%) among traditional schools. Payne Elementary School is another bright spot, with the district's lowest chronic absenteeism at 4.4% and the highest 3rd grade math proficiency at 50%, despite serving a very high-poverty population. In contrast, Clark Elementary School shows the most concerning trends, ranking in the 1st percentile with 17.9% chronic absenteeism and extreme year-over-year volatility in test scores. At the secondary level, The RBHudson STEAM Academy has catastrophically low math proficiency (just 0.8% in 8th grade), while Selma High School graduates 86.6% of students but struggles with 19.5% chronic absenteeism.
Across the district, English proficiency consistently outpaces math by 2-4 times, and the middle school years represent a cliff-like drop in math achievement. Attendance strongly correlates with performance—schools with lower absenteeism like Payne and Meadowview achieve far better results than those with high absenteeism like Clark and Selma High. Notably, per-student spending does not predict success; Sophia P Kingston Elementary School spends the most ($13,079 per student) yet ranks in the bottom quartile, while Meadowview spends less and achieves more. Saints Virtual Academy, serving just 24 students, has a 71.4% graduation rate—15 points below the district—raising questions about its effectiveness. The district ranks in the 12th percentile statewide, but the successes at Meadowview and Payne demonstrate that improvement is achievable with the right focus on attendance and instructional practices.
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