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Frances Nungester Elementary School

Q: Is Frances Nungester Elementary School a good school?

Frances Nungester Elementary School ranks 472 nd of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades PK, KG-5

472^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 31% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Frances Nungester Elementary School in Decatur, AL, serves approximately 428 students in grades PK-5 and is part of the Decatur City school district, where a large majority of families (about 75%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

One of the most impressive things about Frances Nungester is its students' attendance. Only 2% of students are chronically absent, which is far better than the district average of 6% and the state average of 12%. This means kids are showing up ready to learn, which is a great foundation. The school also does particularly well supporting its Hispanic students, who ranked in the 61st percentile statewide in 2025-2026—a big jump from the year before. There's also good news for families with lower incomes: this group of students improved significantly, moving from the 30th to the 48th percentile in just one year.

However, there are clear areas where the school is struggling. Math is a major concern, with proficiency rates well below district averages at every grade level—4th grade math is especially tough, with only about 22% of students meeting standards. Special education students also face significant challenges, ranking in the 8th percentile statewide. The school's overall ranking has declined from a high of the 71st percentile in 2021-2022 to the 31st percentile now, though it did show slight improvement this year. When compared to nearby Chestnut Grove Elementary, which has a similar student population, Frances Nungester trails in most subjects. The 4th grade year seems to be a particular hurdle, with dips in reading, math, and science. While the school's strong attendance and improving support for specific student groups are definite positives, boosting math achievement and providing more targeted help for special education students are the most urgent priorities for turning the overall trend around.

428

Students ?

16.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,452

Per pupil spending ?

75.5%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

726 Tammy St SW
Decatur, AL 35603-1328

(256) 552-3079

District: Decatur City

Students who attend Frances Nungester Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Decatur Middle School
High:	Decatur High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

47.4%

Hispanic:

26.6%

White:

15.9%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Frances Nungester Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 44th percentile in 2016 → 31st in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (42% vs 53% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 13 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school42%

District avg50%

Alabama avg53%

472^nd of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 44% (2016) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

8^th of 11Elementary Schools in the Decatur City

87^th of 140Decatur 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	33.1	472 of 686	31.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	22.8	523 of 680	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.5	487 of 684	28.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	52.1	332 of 680	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	66.8	202 of 687	70.6%	★★★★☆
2021	64.2	231 of 692	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	56.3	300 of 681	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	57.0	307 of 680	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2017	56.4	300 of 688	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2016	45.2	389 of 691	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2015	38.5	438 of 691	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	47.7	376 of 695	45.9%	★★☆☆☆
2013	71.3	150 of 696	78.4%	★★★★☆
2012	59.3	335 of 696	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	42.4	501 of 709	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.4	574 of 704	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	18.4	640 of 696	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2008	38.7	493 of 698	29.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	24.6	597 of 698	14.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	28.0	572 of 689	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	27.4	570 of 688	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	44.8	372 of 623	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	47.1	199 of 428	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	38.3	262 of 427	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.7	224 of 420	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	60.0	124 of 427	71.0%	★★★★☆
2022	81.5	45 of 426	89.4%	★★★★☆
2021	81.0	44 of 426	89.7%	★★★★☆
2019	74.7	69 of 426	83.8%	★★★★☆
2018	69.6	92 of 423	78.3%	★★★★☆
2017	43.4	181 of 336	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	36.7	86 of 131	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	87.5	6 of 110	94.5%	★★★★★
2019	34.3	52 of 74	29.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	36.9	435 of 651	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.7	486 of 649	25.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	27.4	483 of 650	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.1	398 of 645	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	70.3	165 of 656	74.8%	★★★★☆
2021	68.8	171 of 656	73.9%	★★★★☆
2019	55.0	281 of 646	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.0	217 of 640	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.8	282 of 639	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	55.8	35 of 90	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.5	120 of 206	41.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	47.0	93 of 196	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.7	28 of 184	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	90.2	10 of 175	94.3%	★★★★★
2021	79.4	21 of 164	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	67.5	30 of 152	80.3%	★★★★☆
2018	76.0	17 of 140	87.9%	★★★★☆
2017	80.3	15 of 130	88.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	49.8	348 of 667	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.1	464 of 660	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	37.7	447 of 670	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.3	231 of 623	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	76.4	106 of 651	83.7%	★★★★☆
2021	71.3	145 of 653	77.8%	★★★★☆
2019	67.6	164 of 649	74.7%	★★★★☆
2018	69.9	162 of 651	75.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	29.6	466 of 659	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.8	511 of 651	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	34.2	444 of 655	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	61.3	242 of 649	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.5	246 of 669	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	57.2	266 of 669	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.0	301 of 650	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	52.3	325 of 650	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	55.3	288 of 639	54.9%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	54.6	88 of 193	54.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	19.3	369 of 403	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	23.7	342 of 403	15.1%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	16.9	488 of 532	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	468 of 535	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	47.4	276 of 528	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	63.2	177 of 540	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	59.1	188 of 539	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	39.8	333 of 529	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	71.4	121 of 508	76.2%	★★★★☆
2017	74.1	81 of 369	78.0%	★★★★☆

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)61st percentile+30 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)54th percentile+23 vs school

African American (2026)54th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)48th percentile+17 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)34th percentile+6 vs school

Female (2026)33rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)29th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-23 vs school

White (2025)8th percentile-15 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English53%-11 vs state

Science33%-17 vs state

Mathematics33%-9 vs state

5.0

2 ratings · 2 written reviews

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What people are saying

by a parent on FaceBook
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

We absolutely LOVE Frances Nungester Elementary... Everyone on staff has a love for children and support their education... We have 2 children in this school and they both have really progressed in all areas of education... Don't be fooled by our being a Title 1 school, the teachers here love what they do and they TEACH all o their students... From the principal to the cafeteria workers, including the custodians, everyone here at FNES is blessed!!!! Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Love this school! Great teachers, staff, and administration! Don't let someone else perception sway you - go in visit, meet the people, get involved, and pay attention and you will see for yourself that this school is wonderful!

My son started kinder last year and I was hesitant - but I visited the school often, met the teachers, staff, and principal and love them! My daughter started PreK this year at FNES and she loves it! Test scores are up, higher than some of the better rated schools in the district! Get involved, parent involvement is a little low, but growing -- can only make this place a better place to be -- give it a chance, you might just love it! Close Quote

Schools Near Frances Nungester 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 (2023)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
Frances Nungester Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	726 Tammy St SW	Decatur	35603	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 552-3079	428	27	16.1	75.5%	68 (15.9%)	203 (47.4%)	114 (26.6%)	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (7.5%)	33.1	472^nd of 686 public elementary schools	31.2%		22.8	523^rd of 680 public elementary schools	23.1%	51	38.9	22.2	37.5	33.3	58.3	42.9	58.9	$14,452	$4,191	$10,256
Chestnut Grove Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3205 Cedarhurst Dr SW	Decatur	35603	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-3092	436	33	13.4	58.3%	154 (35.3%)	117 (26.8%)	112 (25.7%)	15 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	35 (8.0%)	45.8	392^nd of 686 public elementary schools	42.9%		42.5	406^th of 680 public elementary schools	40.3%	14	49.2	32.2	37.7	36.7	72.1	47.5	63.9	$11,435	$759	$10,673
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%)	41.3	423^rd of 686 public elementary schools	38.3%		38.7	436^th of 680 public elementary schools	35.9%	13	47.6	36.7	43.1	40.0	41.3	53.3	60.3	$12,399	$2,267	$10,127
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%)	40.2	431^st of 686 public elementary schools	37.2%		30.8	471^st of 680 public elementary schools	30.7%	40	47.4	20.0	33.3	37.5	66.7	55.0	57.5	$12,876	$2,436	$10,436
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%)	63.6	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	$13,332	$1,325	$12,001
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%)	62.7	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	$11,318	$1,485	$9,829
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%)	23.3	530^th of 686 public elementary schools	22.7%		8.7	648^th of 680 public elementary schools	4.7%	118	28.1	45.6	32.7	20.0	27.0	38.6	41.7	$17,286	$6,553	$10,729
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%)	13.2	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	$13,947	$3,482	$10,459
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%)	71.4	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	$15,743	$3,713	$12,026
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%)	27.6	503^rd of 686 public elementary schools	26.7%		17.4	565^th of 680 public elementary schools	16.9%	62	28.6	40.9	18.5	36.6	50.7	51.4	37.7	$14,283	$4,664	$9,614

Frequently Asked Questions about Frances Nungester Elementary School

What schools do graduates of Frances Nungester Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Frances Nungester Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Decatur Middle School
High : Decatur High School

How many students attend Frances Nungester Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 428 students attended Frances Nungester Elementary School.

Is Frances Nungester Elementary School a good school?

Frances Nungester Elementary School ranks 472^nd of 686 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Frances Nungester Elementary School in?

Decatur City

What is the racial makeup of Frances Nungester Elementary School?

Students at Frances Nungester Elementary School are 47% African American, 27% Hispanic, 16% White, 7% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2019–20 through 2022–23 school spending dataOct 6, 2026

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

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.