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Payne Elementary School

Public Grades K-6

563^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 680 Alabama Elementary Schools

Better than 17% of Alabama elementary schools

Summary

Payne Elementary School is a public elementary school in Selma, Alabama, serving grades PK-6 with 174 students. The school is part of the Selma City School District, which is ranked 118 out of 135 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger. Payne Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Alabama elementary schools, with a 1-star rating as well.

Payne Elementary faces significant challenges due to the high poverty rates of its student population, with 97% to 97.5% of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch over the past three years. This is significantly higher than nearby schools, which range from 60% to 94% free/reduced lunch recipients. The school's academic performance is also low, with proficiency rates in math and English language arts well below the district and state averages. For example, in 2024-2025, 3rd-grade proficiency rates were just 20.69% in math and 44.83% in English, compared to higher rates at schools like Meadowview Elementary, Clark Elementary, and Sophia P. Kingston Elementary.

Payne Elementary also has high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 14.8% to 32.3% over the past three years, significantly higher than the state average of around 15%. However, the school's spending per student is on par with nearby schools, indicating that funding is not a significant factor in its low performance. While Payne's African American students perform better than the overall student population, the school's challenges appear to be driven primarily by the high poverty rates of its student body, which may require targeted interventions and support to address the unique needs of these students and improve their academic outcomes.

164

Students ?

16.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$10,444

Per pupil spending ?

96.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1529 N Franklin St
Selma, AL 36703

(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%

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Compare Payne Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 17th percentile in 2015 → 17th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (29% vs 50% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (17th percentile)

!English scores 23 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school29%

District avg27%

Alabama avg50%

563^rd of 680

Alabama public elementary schools ?

Bottom 17%▲ up 1 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 5Elementary Schools in the Selma City

118^th of 135Selma 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
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
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
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
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
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 (2025)39th percentile+22 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)19th percentile~ school

Female (2025)13th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)11th percentile-6 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

English40%-23 vs state

Science23%-20 vs state

Mathematics21%-19 vs state

★

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Schools Near Payne Elementary School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)				Summative Assessment Science (2025)	Summative Assessment English (2025)				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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	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	36703	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%)	17.5	563^rd of 680 public elementary schools	17.2%		21.3	540^th of 684 public elementary schools	21.1%	23	20.7	30.8	18.8	12.9	23.1	44.8	38.5	43.8	32.3	$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%)	22.7	524^th of 680 public elementary schools	22.9%		7.8	661^st of 684 public elementary schools	3.4%	137	53.3	14.3	8.7	10.5	0.0	60.0	21.4	43.5	52.6	$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%)	13.5	603^rd of 680 public elementary schools	11.3%		14.4	585^th of 684 public elementary schools	14.5%	18	28.6	6.1	30.8	6.3	0.0	52.4	24.2	38.5	25.0	$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%)	10	638^th of 680 public elementary schools	6.2%		9.9	647^th of 684 public elementary schools	5.4%	9	9.8	13.3	11.1	9.3	22.2	31.4	33.3	48.2	14.0	$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%)	28.3	487^th of 680 public elementary schools	28.4%		35	462^nd of 684 public elementary schools	32.5%	25	35.9	11.8	40.0	32.5	14.7	56.4	26.5	55.1	42.5	$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%)	10.6	632^nd of 680 public elementary schools	7.1%		10.7	636^th of 684 public elementary schools	7.0%	4	17.9	6.9	6.7	7.7	17.2	35.7	17.2	40.0	46.2	$10,642	$2,130	$8,491
Southside Primary School	Public	K-2	3104 Old Montgomery Hwy	Selma	36703	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%)								(n/a)										$11,494	$2,250	$9,221
Bruce K Craig Elementary School	Public	3-5	Building 108 Craig Ind Park	Selma	36701	Dallas County	Dallas County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 875-7937	151	8	18.8	80.8%	3 (2.0%)	140 (92.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (5.3%)	8.9	646^th of 680 public elementary schools	5.0%		5.4	677^th of 684 public elementary schools	1.0%	31	13.3	10.5	13.5		0.0	46.7	36.8	23.1		$9,288	$2,089	$7,177
Valley Grande Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	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%)	28.2	491^st of 680 public elementary schools	27.8%		31.4	482^nd of 684 public elementary schools	29.5%	9	32.5	7.0	25.0	14.5	23.3	67.5	39.5	57.5	51.6	$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%)	23.5	517^th of 680 public elementary schools	24.0%		34.3	464^th of 684 public elementary schools	32.2%	53	13.6	23.5	29.4		11.8	59.1	17.7	64.7		$11,997	$2,121	$9,854

Frequently Asked Questions about Payne Elementary School

Is Payne Elementary School a good school?

Payne Elementary School ranks in the bottom 17.2% of Alabama elementary schools.

What is the racial makeup of Payne Elementary School?

Students at Payne Elementary School are 99% African American.

How many students attend Payne Elementary School?

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

What district is Payne Elementary School in?

Selma City

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

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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.