Choctaw County Elementary

Choctaw County Elementary is a rural PK-6 school in Butler, Alabama, serving 295 students within the Choctaw County school district, where about 77% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Recent test scores show that the school is struggling significantly compared to state averages. In math, proficiency rates are dramatically low—for example, only 3.2% of 6th graders and 8.5% of 4th graders met grade-level standards, compared to roughly 35-42% statewide. Reading scores are somewhat stronger, with 3rd grade English proficiency at 45.2%, but still below the state average. The school's overall ranking has fallen sharply in recent years, now placing it in the bottom 5% of Alabama elementary schools. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern, with 17.6% of students missing too many days—higher than both the district and state averages.

Perhaps the most telling comparison is with Southern Choctaw Elementary School, located just 17 miles away in the same district. Despite serving a similar student population (about 71% low-income), Southern Choctaw has climbed to the 40th percentile statewide, while Choctaw County Elementary has fallen to the 5th. In 4th grade science, Southern Choctaw students scored 59.4% proficient versus just 12.8% at Choctaw County Elementary—a 47-point gap. This suggests that school-level factors, not just poverty, are driving the differences. The data also shows that students fall further behind as they advance through grade levels, indicating that learning gaps compound over time. For parents, this means the school is in urgent need of intervention, particularly in math and for students with special needs, who currently rank last in the state.