Summary:
Schools in zip code 36040 (Hayneville, AL) serve approximately 633 students across four schools in the Lowndes County district, which ranks in the bottom 10% of Alabama districts and serves a predominantly low-income population with 74-88% of students receiving free or reduced lunch.
JacksonSteele Elementary School is the clear standout in this area, dramatically outperforming its peers despite serving a similar demographic. Its 5th-grade English proficiency reached 86.36% in 2024-2025—nearly double the district average—while maintaining the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at just 11.7%, actually below the state average. This contrasts sharply with Central High School, which ranks in the bottom 1-6% statewide and shows alarming results: 0% proficiency in 11th-grade science, just 2% in math, and a graduation rate 11 points below the state average. Central Elementary School and Hayneville Middle School fall in between, with math proficiency rates that never exceed 26% at any grade level.
The most striking pattern is a district-wide mathematics crisis—no grade level at any school exceeded 26% proficiency in 2025-2026, with 7th-grade math at Hayneville Middle hitting 0%. English proficiency consistently outperforms math everywhere, sometimes by 5.5 times, suggesting literacy instruction has some traction while math instruction is failing. Chronic absenteeism above 23% at three of four schools appears strongly linked to poor outcomes, while JacksonSteele's success demonstrates that improvement is possible even in this struggling district. Notably, spending does not correlate with results—Central High spends the most per student ($15,465) yet achieves the worst outcomes. For parents, the data suggests that JacksonSteele Elementary offers the best educational environment, while the district's systemic challenges in math and high school performance require serious attention.
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