Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Alabama rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School

Public, Magnet Grades 3-5

37^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 95% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School in Decatur, AL, is a top-performing magnet school serving 297 students in grades 3-5, and it stands out as a remarkable academic success story within the Decatur City district.

This school consistently ranks in the top 5% of all elementary schools in Alabama, earning a 5-star rating year after year. What makes this achievement even more impressive is the context: the Decatur City district as a whole ranks in the bottom third of the state, yet Leon Sheffield outperforms its district by 23 to 34 percentage points in every subject and grade level. For example, 3rd grade English proficiency is 93.6% at Leon Sheffield, compared to just 59.8% district-wide. The school's excellence extends across all student groups—Hispanic students rank #1 in the entire state, and students from low-income backgrounds rank in the 97th percentile. With a chronic absenteeism rate of just 1.3% (compared to 12% statewide), families are clearly engaged and students are showing up ready to learn.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, the difference is striking. Leon Sheffield outperforms the next-best nearby school, Eastwood Elementary, by 24 percentage points in 3rd grade math, and the gap widens to a staggering 50 points when compared to West Decatur Elementary. Even West Morgan Elementary in the neighboring Morgan County district, which performs above state averages, trails Leon Sheffield significantly. The school's feeder pattern from Benjamin Davis Elementary (grades PK-2) appears to prepare students well for this rigorous environment. For parents seeking a school where their child will be challenged, supported, and surrounded by highly engaged families, Leon Sheffield is an exceptional choice that delivers results across the board.

297

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

45.8%

Free/discounted lunch ?

801 Wilson St NW
Decatur, AL 35601

(256) 552-3056

District: Decatur City

Racial breakdown:

White:

48.5%

African American:

28.6%

Hispanic:

16.5%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 98th percentile in 2016 → 95th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (79% vs 53% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 5% of Alabama elementary schools

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Decatur City

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg50%

Alabama avg53%

37^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Top 5%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 2% (2016) to top 5% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 11Elementary Schools in the Decatur City

88^th of 139Decatur City 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	92.2	37 of 686	94.6%	★★★★★
2025	92.0	40 of 680	94.1%	★★★★★
2024	92.2	38 of 684	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	93.8	32 of 680	95.3%	★★★★★
2022	93.4	41 of 687	94.0%	★★★★★
2021	89.6	59 of 692	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	88.8	59 of 681	91.3%	★★★★★
2018	95.2	29 of 680	95.7%	★★★★★
2017	95.8	26 of 688	96.2%	★★★★★
2016	97.1	13 of 691	98.1%	★★★★★
2015	90.9	51 of 691	92.6%	★★★★★
2014	90.7	47 of 695	93.2%	★★★★★
2013	79.7	52 of 696	92.5%	★★★★★
2012	82.9	38 of 696	94.5%	★★★★★
2011	78.3	84 of 709	88.2%	★★★★☆
2010	85.4	32 of 704	95.5%	★★★★★
2009	88.2	20 of 696	97.1%	★★★★★
2008	87.8	18 of 698	97.4%	★★★★★
2007	91.8	12 of 698	98.3%	★★★★★
2006	94.2	7 of 689	99.0%	★★★★★
2005	95.5	8 of 688	98.8%	★★★★★
2004	94.2	11 of 623	98.2%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	90.6	20 of 429	95.3%	★★★★★
2025	92.6	18 of 427	95.8%	★★★★★
2024	93.4	19 of 420	95.5%	★★★★★
2023	95.5	15 of 427	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.8	19 of 426	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	85.5	29 of 426	93.2%	★★★★★
2019	82.8	48 of 426	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	92.8	18 of 423	95.7%	★★★★★
2017	92.6	16 of 336	95.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	88.4	54 of 652	91.7%	★★★★★
2025	89.0	47 of 649	92.8%	★★★★★
2024	88.8	53 of 650	91.8%	★★★★★
2023	93.4	29 of 645	95.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	36 of 656	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	90.9	48 of 656	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	88.9	52 of 646	92.0%	★★★★★
2018	95.2	18 of 640	97.2%	★★★★★
2017	92.9	29 of 639	95.5%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	100.0	1 of 90	98.9%	★★★★★
2025	95.9	5 of 206	97.6%	★★★★★
2024	94.4	8 of 196	95.9%	★★★★★
2023	94.4	7 of 184	96.2%	★★★★★
2022	96.6	5 of 175	97.1%	★★★★★
2021	92.7	7 of 164	95.7%	★★★★★
2019	94.6	4 of 152	97.4%	★★★★★
2017	99.8	1 of 130	99.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	92.6	21 of 668	96.9%	★★★★★
2025	95.5	14 of 660	97.9%	★★★★★
2024	93.8	16 of 670	97.6%	★★★★★
2023	97.6	6 of 623	99.0%	★★★★★
2022	93.9	9 of 651	98.6%	★★★★★
2021	88.9	25 of 653	96.2%	★★★★★
2019	80.7	66 of 649	89.8%	★★★★☆
2018	94.1	16 of 651	97.5%	★★★★★
2017	92.4	16 of 567	97.2%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	93.7	26 of 660	96.1%	★★★★★
2025	92.9	22 of 651	96.6%	★★★★★
2024	92.8	30 of 655	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	91.9	36 of 649	94.5%	★★★★★
2022	91.7	42 of 669	93.7%	★★★★★
2021	84.6	72 of 669	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.6	73 of 650	88.8%	★★★★☆
2018	93.7	30 of 650	95.4%	★★★★★
2017	96.3	10 of 639	98.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	90.2	9 of 194	95.4%	★★★★★
2024	91.5	6 of 82	92.7%	★★★★★
2023	81.1	13 of 70	81.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	92.7	22 of 500	95.6%	★★★★★
2025	90.6	29 of 532	94.5%	★★★★★
2024	88.5	49 of 535	90.8%	★★★★★
2023	90.9	38 of 528	92.8%	★★★★★
2022	91.5	39 of 540	92.8%	★★★★★
2021	88.2	58 of 539	89.2%	★★★★☆
2019	87.9	51 of 529	90.4%	★★★★★
2018	95.1	18 of 508	96.5%	★★★★★
2017	94.6	13 of 369	96.5%	★★★★★

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)

Hispanic (2026)99th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)97th percentile~ school

Male (2026)96th percentile~ school

White (2026)96th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)95th percentile~ school

African American (2026)95th percentile~ school

Female (2026)92nd percentile-3 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English90%+26 vs state

Science74%+24 vs state

Mathematics70%+28 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School and help other families decide.

Rate Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School

Load more schools when map is moved

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
Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School	Public, Magnet	3-5	801 Wilson St NW	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	Yes	No	No	(256) 552-3056	297	17	17.1	45.8%	144 (48.5%)	85 (28.6%)	49 (16.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (6.1%)	92.2	37^th of 686 public elementary schools	94.6%		92	40^th of 680 public elementary schools	94.1%	3	74.2	70.7	64.0	73.7	93.6	86.9	89.9
Benjamin Davis Elementary School	Public, Magnet	PK, KG-2	417 Monroe Dr NW	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	Yes	No	No	(256) 552-3025	251	19	13.4	55.4%	96 (38.2%)	85 (33.9%)	52 (20.7%)	3 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (6.0%)								(n/a)
West Decatur Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	708 Memorial Dr Sw	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3027	407	25	16.6	81.1%	41 (10.1%)	76 (18.7%)	276 (67.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	12 (2.9%)	13.1	613^th of 686 public elementary schools	10.6%		14.9	588^th of 680 public elementary schools	13.5%	25	24.6	16.7	22.5	13.1	40.6	30.0	46.0	$10,695	$1,257	$9,437
BanksCaddell Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	211 Gordon Dr SE	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3040	477	29	16.7	76.5%	59 (12.4%)	130 (27.3%)	262 (54.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.2%)	27.5	504^th of 686 public elementary schools	26.5%		17.4	565^th of 680 public elementary schools	16.9%	61	28.6	40.9	18.5	36.6	50.7	51.4	37.7	$11,826	$2,971	$8,854
Woodmeade Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1400 19th Ave SW	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3023	361	24	15.0	67.6%	55 (15.2%)	93 (25.8%)	179 (49.6%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	4 (1.1%)	26 (7.2%)	40.1	432^nd of 686 public elementary schools	37.0%		30.8	471^st of 680 public elementary schools	30.7%	39	47.4	20.0	33.3	37.5	66.7	55.0	57.5	$9,103	$1,156	$7,947
Oak Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1218 16th Ave SE	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3033	481	36	13.5	70.9%	76 (15.8%)	133 (27.7%)	236 (49.1%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	4 (0.8%)	29 (6.0%)	23.2	531^st of 686 public elementary schools	22.6%		8.7	648^th of 680 public elementary schools	4.7%	117	28.1	45.6	32.7	20.0	27.0	38.6	41.7	$14,212	$2,829	$11,384
Walter Jackson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1950 Park St SE	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-3031	251	17	14.9	59.8%	113 (45.0%)	56 (22.3%)	51 (20.3%)	4 (1.6%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (10.4%)	63.5	247^th of 686 public elementary schools	64.0%		62.8	248^th of 680 public elementary schools	63.5%	1	26.2	62.1	50.0	65.5	69.1	75.9	61.8
Austinville Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2320 Clara Ave SW	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3050	463	28	16.3	67.6%	51 (11.0%)	119 (25.7%)	265 (57.2%)	5 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (4.8%)	41.2	424^th of 686 public elementary schools	38.2%		38.7	436^th of 680 public elementary schools	35.9%	12	47.6	36.7	43.1	40.0	41.3	53.3	60.3	$9,969	$885	$9,084
Julian Harris Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1922 McAuliffe Dr SW	Decatur	35603	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-3096	349	23	15.5	51.9%	134 (38.4%)	132 (37.8%)	33 (9.5%)	13 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	36 (10.3%)	62.6	256^th of 686 public elementary schools	62.7%		64.9	232^nd of 680 public elementary schools	65.9%	24	48.0	52.9	40.0	67.7	66.0	66.2	63.6
Eastwood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1802 26th Ave SE	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-3043	272	18	15.2	37.1%	179 (65.8%)	46 (16.9%)	22 (8.1%)	1 (0.4%)	4 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (7.4%)	71.3	184^th of 686 public elementary schools	73.2%		73.1	167^th of 680 public elementary schools	75.4%	17	50.0	50.0	58.3	52.5	70.0	67.5	88.9	$15,088	$3,262	$11,825

Frequently Asked Questions about Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School?

Students at Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School are 48% White, 29% African American, 16% Hispanic, 6% Two or more races.

Is Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School a good school?

Yes. Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School ranks in the top 5.4% of Alabama elementary schools.

What district is Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School in?

Decatur City

How many students attend Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 297 students attended Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School.

Rate Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ALAlabama Elementary School Rankings

ALAlabama District Rankings

Schools in Decatur, AL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School!

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.