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New Bethel Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

44^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

New Bethel Elementary School is a small, rural school in Tuscumbia, AL, serving 159 students in grades PK through 6 within the Colbert County school district. This school has become a standout success story, climbing from a mid-tier ranking to the top 7% of all elementary schools in Alabama over the past seven years.

For the 2025-2026 school year, New Bethel ranks 44th out of 686 elementary schools statewide, earning a 5-star rating for the fourth consecutive year. What makes this particularly impressive is the consistency across every grade and subject. In 4th grade, 77.8% of students are proficient in math and 94.4% in English—roughly 30-35 percentage points above state averages. Science proficiency hits 88.9%, nearly 39 points above the state average. The school also excels with students from all backgrounds; in 2023-2024, its low-income students ranked 11th in the state (98th percentile), even as the school's free/reduced lunch rate jumped from 25% to 43% in one year. Chronic absenteeism sits at just 7.1%, less than half the district rate of 17.8% and well below the state's 12%.

Compared to nearby schools, New Bethel's performance is exceptional. It outranks McBride Elementary in Muscle Shoals (44th vs. 66th), despite McBride serving a more affluent community. The gap is even wider within its own district: Colbert Heights Elementary ranks 312th with 44.3% math proficiency and a 20.7% absenteeism rate. R E Thompson Intermediate in Tuscumbia ranks 250th, and L E Willson Elementary in Sheffield ranks 464th. With a 15:1 student-teacher ratio and proficiency rates consistently between 72% and 94% across all grades, New Bethel proves that a small rural school can deliver elite academic outcomes through strong school-wide practices and high student attendance.

159

Students ?

15.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$11,103

Per pupil spending ?

43.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

900 New Bethel Road
Tuscumbia, AL 35674

(256) 383-6471

District: Colbert County

Students who attend New Bethel Elementary School usually attend:

High:

Colbert Heights High School

Racial breakdown:

White:

93.1%

Hispanic:

3.1%

African American:

1.3%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare New Bethel Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 52nd percentile in 2016 → 94th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (81% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Alabama elementary schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 42 percentile points since 2016

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school81%

District avg57%

Alabama avg53%

44^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▲ up 42 pts since 2016

From top 48% (2016) to top 6% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 5Elementary Schools in the Colbert County

70^th of 140Colbert County among Alabama districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	91.2	44 of 686	93.6%	★★★★★
2025	92.1	37 of 680	94.6%	★★★★★
2024	90.5	46 of 684	93.3%	★★★★★
2023	90.2	57 of 680	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	77.9	129 of 687	81.2%	★★★★☆
2021	52.8	312 of 692	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.1	385 of 681	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2018	68.5	209 of 680	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.5	270 of 688	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	51.6	332 of 691	52.0%	★★★☆☆
2015	44.3	395 of 691	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2014	55.0	306 of 695	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	57.8	348 of 696	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2012	61.2	309 of 696	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2011	60.3	318 of 709	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.6	407 of 704	42.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	47.6	415 of 696	40.4%	★★☆☆☆
2008	53.9	339 of 698	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2007	56.0	339 of 698	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2006	62.9	231 of 689	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2005	70.0	171 of 688	75.1%	★★★★☆
2004	60.6	236 of 623	62.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	91.2	34 of 651	94.8%	★★★★★
2025	96.0	10 of 649	98.5%	★★★★★
2021	74.2	131 of 656	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	49.1	343 of 646	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	49.1	354 of 640	44.7%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	96.0	11 of 670	98.4%	★★★★★
2022	79.8	80 of 651	87.7%	★★★★☆
2021	58.9	256 of 653	60.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	48.7	342 of 649	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	64.8	198 of 651	69.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	94.9	15 of 659	97.7%	★★★★★
2024	81.2	97 of 655	85.2%	★★★★☆
2022	84.0	84 of 669	87.4%	★★★★☆
2021	61.7	236 of 669	64.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.6	337 of 650	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	94.6	23 of 650	96.5%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	81.3	73 of 501	85.4%	★★★★☆
2025	86.8	56 of 532	89.5%	★★★★☆
2024	83.7	68 of 535	87.3%	★★★★☆
2023	82.3	74 of 528	86.0%	★★★★☆
2022	63.5	175 of 540	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.7	340 of 539	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.1	403 of 529	23.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	49.8	255 of 508	49.8%	★★★☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)98th percentile+5 vs school

Male (2026)98th percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

White (2026)85th percentile-8 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

Science89%+39 vs state

English85%+20 vs state

Mathematics75%+33 vs state

★

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Schools Near New Bethel Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)			Summative Assessment Science (2026)	Summative Assessment English (2026)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
New Bethel Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	900 New Bethel Road	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 383-6471	159	11	15.0	43.4%	148 (93.1%)	2 (1.3%)	5 (3.1%)	2 (1.3%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	91.2	44^th of 686 public elementary schools	93.6%		92.1	37^th of 680 public elementary schools	94.6%	7	72.7	77.8	73.9	88.9	77.3	94.4	82.6	$11,103	$1,876	$9,226
Colbert Heights Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1551 Sunset Dr	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Colbert County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 381-6132	486	32	15.1	56.0%	429 (88.3%)	9 (1.9%)	25 (5.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (4.7%)	55.6	312^th of 686 public elementary schools	54.5%		50.2	355^th of 680 public elementary schools	47.8%	43	48.2	44.3	38.5	49.2	63.6	50.8	80.0	$8,666	$1,990	$6,676
R E Thompson Intermediate School	Public	3-5	829 Frankfort Rd	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Tuscumbia City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 389-2930	360	24	14.9	55.8%	220 (61.1%)	89 (24.7%)	18 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (8.6%)	63.1	250^th of 686 public elementary schools	63.6%		63.6	241^st of 680 public elementary schools	64.6%	9	46.9	55.5	48.0	50.0	64.0	67.3	71.7	$9,434	$1,437	$7,974
G W Trenholm Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	601 Joe Wheeler Hwy	Tuscumbia	35674	Colbert County	Tuscumbia City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 389-2940	413	28	14.5	55.9%	247 (59.8%)	115 (27.8%)	14 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (7.3%)								(n/a)								$9,760	$1,698	$8,038
West Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-2	1340 Clay Ave	Russellville	35653	Franklin County	Russellville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 331-2122	686	41	16.6	52.6%	209 (30.5%)	21 (3.1%)	416 (60.6%)	4 (0.6%)	4 (0.6%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.5%)								(n/a)								$10,499	$1,997	$8,484
Russellville Elementary School	Public	3-6	133 Chucky Mullins Memorial Dr	Russellville	35653	Franklin County	Russellville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 331-2123	576	33	17.5	62.0%	186 (32.3%)	30 (5.2%)	344 (59.7%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.9%)	62.8	252^nd of 686 public elementary schools	63.3%		71.3	186^th of 680 public elementary schools	72.6%	66	58.6	49.5	37.0	72.0	68.0	63.4	59.4	$10,187	$2,552	$7,616
Highland Park Elementary School	Public	1-2	714 Elmhurst St	Muscle Shoals	35661	Colbert County	Muscle Shoals City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 389-2620	236	13	17.8	44.9%	151 (64.0%)	35 (14.8%)	26 (11.0%)	5 (2.1%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (7.6%)								(n/a)								$11,919	$2,319	$9,565
WA Threadgill Primary School	Public	PK, KG-2	900 Annapolis Avenue	Sheffield	35660	Colbert County	Sheffield City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 386-5720	344	24	14.6	69.8%	167 (48.5%)	106 (30.8%)	27 (7.8%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (12.2%)								(n/a)								$11,366	$2,150	$9,213
McBride Elementary School	Public	3-5	1400 Avalon Ave	Muscle Shoals	35661	Colbert County	Muscle Shoals City	No	No	No	No	(256) 389-2610	647	37	17.3	34.2%	447 (69.1%)	87 (13.4%)	55 (8.5%)	22 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.4%)	88.3	66^th of 686 public elementary schools	90.4%		89	55^th of 680 public elementary schools	91.9%	11	84.9	63.6	62.2	71.9	88.1	72.4	86.0	$8,031	$197	$7,800
Howell Graves Preschool	Public	PK-K	3201 Alabama Ave	Muscle Shoals	35661	Colbert County	Muscle Shoals City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 389-2630	356	19	18.7	19.9%	238 (66.9%)	53 (14.9%)	28 (7.9%)	13 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (6.7%)								(n/a)								$11,965	$1,916	$10,013

Frequently Asked Questions about New Bethel Elementary School

How many students attend New Bethel Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 159 students attended New Bethel Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of New Bethel Elementary School attend?

Students who attend New Bethel Elementary School usually go on to attend:

High : Colbert Heights High School

What district is New Bethel Elementary School in?

Colbert County

Is New Bethel Elementary School a good school?

Yes. New Bethel Elementary School ranks in the top 6.4% of Alabama elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of New Bethel Elementary School?

Students at New Bethel Elementary School are 93% White, 3% Hispanic, 1% African American, 1% Asian.

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.