Summary:
Zip code 36040, serving the Hayneville, Alabama area, is home to just 2 elementary schools—Central Elementary School and JacksonSteele Elementary School—both part of the Lowndes County district and serving grades PK-5 in a high-poverty, rural community.
For parents comparing the two, JacksonSteele Elementary School is the clear standout. It has a much better student-teacher ratio (16.2:1 vs. 25:1 at Central Elementary School), spends about $2,650 more per student, and has a chronic absenteeism rate of just 11.7%—actually below the state average of 12%. Its 5th grade English proficiency hit an impressive 64.71% in 2025-2026, nearly matching the state average, and was even higher the prior year at 86.36%. By contrast, Central Elementary School struggles with a 25.3% chronic absenteeism rate (more than double the state average) and a 0-star rating, ranking near the bottom of Alabama schools. However, Central shows promising momentum in math: 3rd grade proficiency jumped from 3.7% to 16.67% and 5th grade from 3.33% to 12.5% in just one year, suggesting recent interventions may be working.
Both schools face significant achievement gaps versus state averages, especially in math where proficiency rates lag by 25-30 points. Yet there are bright spots: both actually beat their district average in 5th grade math, and JacksonSteele Elementary School demonstrates that high-poverty schools can achieve strong literacy outcomes. Parents should note that JacksonSteele Elementary School has some missing 4th grade data, likely due to very small class sizes, making year-to-year comparisons less reliable. Overall, JacksonSteele Elementary School offers the more stable, supportive learning environment, while Central Elementary School shows signs of improvement but needs urgent attention to attendance and class sizes.
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