Summary:
Zip code 36477 in Samson, Alabama, is served by a single elementary school, Samson Elementary School, which enrolls 361 students across grades PK through 5 within the Geneva County school district.
For parents considering this area, Samson Elementary School presents a mixed picture. The most encouraging sign is its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.0%, compared to the state average of 12.0%, which suggests strong family engagement and a positive school culture around attendance. This is especially notable given that nearly 70% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty population. However, academic performance is inconsistent. The school shows a clear strength in English, where 3rd and 5th graders actually outperform the state average by about 2 to 3 percentage points. In contrast, math proficiency is a significant concern, with 3rd grade math at just 22.22% proficient (a 22.67-point gap below the state) and 5th grade math at 19.15% (a 19.91-point gap). Science performance in 4th grade is slightly below state levels but not dramatically so.
The data also reveals troubling volatility from year to year. Between the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, 3rd grade English jumped by +15.56 points while 4th grade English dropped by -16.94 points, and 5th grade math fell by -16.41 points. This instability, combined with the school’s ranking dropping from the 64th to the 35th percentile over two years, suggests inconsistent instructional practices or small cohort effects. While the Geneva County district itself ranks in the 71st percentile statewide with a 4-star rating, Samson Elementary is clearly underperforming relative to its district peers. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.1:1 and per-student spending of $9,056, resources appear moderate, but the declining math scores and erratic year-over-year swings suggest the school would benefit from a more coherent, vertically-aligned curriculum strategy, particularly in mathematics.
Thank you for your feedback!