Tuskegee Public Elementary

Tuskegee Public Elementary in Tuskegee, AL, serves 261 students in grades 4 through 8 as part of the Macon County district, in a community where the vast majority of families face significant economic challenges.

This school stands out most for the level of economic need among its students. In the 2024-2025 school year, 86% of students qualified for free or reduced lunch, a figure that exceeded 98% in the two prior years. That's dramatically higher than nearby schools like Sanford Middle School (60%) or the Auburn City schools, which sit around 30%. Academically, proficiency rates in math and English are well below state averages across all grade levels. For example, 6th-grade math proficiency was just 10.87% in the 2025-2026 school year, compared to 44.8% at Sanford Middle and 59.73% at Drake Middle School. The school also has a higher student-teacher ratio (20:1) than its neighbors, and its per-student spending of $9,782 is actually higher than nearby schools, yet that investment hasn't translated into higher test scores.

There are, however, encouraging signs. Chronic absenteeism has been cut by more than half, dropping from 27.8% in 2022-2023 to just 12.6% in 2024-2025—now right at the state average and far better than the district's 24.1% rate. English Language Arts scores are relatively stronger than math, with 5th-grade reading hitting 50% proficiency in 2025-2026. And 5th-grade math showed a notable jump to 31.71% that same year, up from 12% two years earlier. While the school's performance is low in absolute terms, it generally matches or slightly exceeds the Macon County district average, suggesting these challenges are systemic across the district rather than unique to this school. For parents, this is a school facing real obstacles but showing meaningful progress in attendance and select academic areas.