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Payne Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

578^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 686 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 16% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Payne Elementary School in Selma, AL, serves approximately 164 students in grades K-6 within the Selma City school district, where nearly all students (96%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Payne Elementary has some bright spots worth noting. The school made a remarkable improvement in attendance—chronic absenteeism dropped from 19.2% to just 4.4% in a single year, which is now better than the district average (12.7%) and most nearby schools. Third-grade math is another standout: 50% of students are proficient, which beats the state average (44.89%) and outpaces nearby schools like Valley Grande Elementary (43.10%) and Meadowview Elementary (40.91%). However, these early gains don't hold up as students move through the grades. Math proficiency drops sharply from 50% in 3rd grade to just 7.69% in 6th grade, and English proficiency falls from 38.89% to 23.08% over the same period. Science performance is also a concern, with only 8.7% of 4th graders proficient compared to the state average of 50.23%.

Compared to its closest neighbor, Clark Elementary (just 0.59 miles away), Payne performs better overall—ranking 578th in the state versus Clark's 680th. Payne also has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 16.4, better than several area schools. One thing to keep in mind: test scores at Payne can swing quite a bit from year to year, partly because the school is small, so a single year's results may not tell the whole story. The school has shown improvement from its lowest point in 2021-2022, and the strong 3rd-grade results suggest recent efforts are starting to pay off in the lower grades.

164

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,444

Per pupil spending ?

96.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1529 N Franklin St
Selma, AL 36701

(334) 874-1660

District: Selma City

Students who attend Payne Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	School Of Discovery Genesis Center
	The RBHudson STEAM Academy
High:	Selma High School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

99.4%

Two or more races:

0.6%

See top rated Alabama elementary schools

Compare Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 11th percentile in 2016 → 16th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 5 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (26% vs 51% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (16th percentile)

!Science scores 42 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school26%

District avg25%

Alabama avg51%

578^th of 686

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 16%▲ up 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 11% (2016) to bottom 16% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 5Elementary Schools in the Selma City

124^th of 140Selma 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	17.2	578 of 686	15.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.5	563 of 680	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	21.3	540 of 684	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.6	639 of 680	6.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.6	668 of 687	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	14.3	602 of 692	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	487 of 681	28.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.4	505 of 680	25.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	11.5	626 of 688	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	13.2	618 of 691	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	20.2	576 of 691	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	14.3	631 of 695	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	68.3	201 of 696	71.1%	★★★★☆
2012	39.7	514 of 696	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	42.5	498 of 709	29.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	29.0	579 of 704	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	29.0	575 of 696	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	28.7	581 of 698	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	18.6	630 of 698	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2006	9.8	672 of 689	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2005	29.8	555 of 688	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2004	13.0	592 of 623	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	31.5	301 of 428	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.5	260 of 427	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.3	219 of 420	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2023	21.6	370 of 427	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	403 of 426	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.7	315 of 426	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	55.9	153 of 426	64.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	230 of 423	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.1	290 of 336	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	7.7	635 of 651	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	15.8	566 of 649	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.6	512 of 650	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.4	622 of 645	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	8.5	640 of 656	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	534 of 656	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.9	435 of 646	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.5	484 of 640	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.0	592 of 639	7.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	21.7	551 of 667	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.8	534 of 660	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.0	521 of 670	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	13.9	573 of 623	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.8	637 of 651	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	21.0	532 of 653	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.4	383 of 649	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.5	435 of 651	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	13.8	515 of 567	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	27.8	476 of 659	27.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	13.9	581 of 651	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.2	516 of 655	21.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	14.1	559 of 649	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.7	630 of 669	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.1	615 of 669	8.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	502 of 650	22.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.7	486 of 650	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.8	582 of 639	8.9%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

African American (2026)30th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)28th percentile+12 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)17th percentile~ school

Female (2026)2nd percentile-13 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English31%-32 vs state

Mathematics26%-14 vs state

Science9%-42 vs state

★

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Schools Near Payne 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 Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Payne Elementary School	Public	K-6	1529 N Franklin St	Selma	36701	Dallas County	Selma City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-1660	164	10	16.4	96.3%	0 (0.0%)	163 (99.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	17.2	578^th of 686 public elementary schools	15.7%		17.5	563^rd of 680 public elementary schools	17.2%	15	50.0	13.0	33.3	7.7	8.7	38.9	29.2	33.3	23.1	$10,444	$2,016	$8,420
Clark Elementary School	Public	K-6	405 Lawrence St	Selma	36703	Dallas County	Selma City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-1630	113	8	14.1	97.3%	4 (3.5%)	105 (92.9%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	5	680^th of 686 public elementary schools	0.9%		22.7	524^th of 680 public elementary schools	22.9%	156	5.6	11.1	0.0	4.2	11.1	11.1	22.2	16.7	33.3	$10,376	$2,448	$7,920
Sophia P Kingston Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2224 Selma Ave	Selma	36703	Dallas County	Selma City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-1635	305	13	23.4	76.7%	2 (0.7%)	292 (95.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (3.0%)	15.4	590^th of 686 public elementary schools	14.0%		13.5	603^rd of 680 public elementary schools	11.3%	13	8.5	24.4	0.0	25.0	19.5	36.2	26.8	55.2	41.7	$13,079	$3,106	$9,965
Edgewood Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	709 Highland Ave	Selma	36701	Dallas County	Selma City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-1640	402	22	18.3	88.6%	3 (0.7%)	385 (95.8%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (2.7%)	7.5	668^th of 686 public elementary schools	2.6%		10	638^th of 680 public elementary schools	6.2%	30	9.5	8.9	9.5	10.5	15.6	35.9	26.7	28.6	31.0	$9,321	$1,918	$7,396
Meadowview Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	1816 Orrville Rd	Selma	36701	Dallas County	Selma City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-1655	334	17	19.7	76.3%	17 (5.1%)	300 (89.8%)	4 (1.2%)	5 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	33.4	471^st of 686 public elementary schools	31.3%		28.3	487^th of 680 public elementary schools	28.4%	16	40.9	41.7	10.3	26.5	38.9	53.3	56.8	27.6	49.0	$10,109	$1,741	$8,361
Brantley Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-8	5585 Water Ave	Selma	36703	Dallas County	Dallas County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-8185	204	10	20.4	86.8%	27 (13.2%)	155 (76.0%)	5 (2.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (7.8%)	10.9	636^th of 686 public elementary schools	7.3%		10.6	632^nd of 680 public elementary schools	7.1%	4	16.1	15.4	12.9		30.8	29.0	38.5	25.8		$10,642	$2,130	$8,491
Southside Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3104 Old Montgomery Hwy	Selma	36701	Dallas County	Dallas County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 874-9566	147	8	18.3	87.8%	2 (1.4%)	137 (93.2%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (4.1%)	9.3	648^th of 686 public elementary schools	5.5%					(n/a)	14.0	10.9	11.4		19.6	42.0	32.6	40.0		$11,494	$2,250	$9,221
Valley Grande Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2765 Dallas County Road 81	Valley Grande	36701	Dallas County	Dallas County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 872-7661	353	17	20.7	77.1%	103 (29.2%)	207 (58.6%)	12 (3.4%)	5 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (7.4%)	27.9	501^st of 686 public elementary schools	27.0%		28.2	491^st of 680 public elementary schools	27.8%	10	43.1	21.6	9.4		25.5	69.0	43.1	50.9		$8,689	$1,547	$7,121
Salem Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3486 Dallas Road 3	Orrville	36767	Dallas County	Dallas County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 996-8636	155	9	17.2	78.1%	2 (1.3%)	147 (94.8%)	4 (2.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	15.9	586^th of 686 public elementary schools	14.6%		23.5	517^th of 680 public elementary schools	24.0%	69	50.0	9.1	10.5		22.7	38.9	31.8	26.3		$11,997	$2,121	$9,854
JacksonSteele Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	570 Freedom Rd	Hayneville	36040	Lowndes County	Lowndes County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 872-0758	114	7	16.2	74.6%	5 (4.4%)	107 (93.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.8%)	23.4	529^th of 686 public elementary schools	22.9%		35.4	451^st of 680 public elementary schools	33.7%	78	23.5		11.8			47.1		64.7		$14,946	$3,336	$11,569

Frequently Asked Questions about Payne Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of Payne Elementary School?

Students at Payne Elementary School are 99% African American.

What district is Payne Elementary School in?

Selma City

How many students attend Payne Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 164 students attended Payne Elementary School.

What schools do graduates of Payne Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Payne Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : School Of Discovery Genesis Center
Middle : The RBHudson STEAM Academy
High : Selma High School

Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks in the bottom 15.7% of Alabama elementary schools.

Rate Payne Elementary School!

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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.