The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School
Kate D Smith DAR Elementary School serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in Grant, a small rural mountain town in northeast Alabama. It is a regular public school within the Marshall County system, housed on a campus that includes the broader Kate Duncan Smith DAR K-12 institution, a school listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because the school’s grade band ends at fourth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and the academic measures that are available only cover the grades that Alabama tests.
The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students and even smaller numbers of students from other racial or ethnic backgrounds. A substantial share of the school’s enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a middle-to-moderate-income community. The school’s size is typical for an elementary serving this many grades, drawing from the town of Grant and the surrounding mountain area.
On state assessments, the school’s results show a clear pattern. In English language arts, a majority of students in both tested grades scored at the proficient level or above, a strength relative to many peers. Science, which is tested only in fourth grade, also shows a majority reaching proficiency. Math results are softer: in third grade slightly fewer than half of students were proficient, and in fourth grade just over a third were. A parent interested in math support may want to ask the school what interventions or enrichment it offers, as these numbers are lower than the school’s own ELA outcomes. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index lands above the midpoint among districts in Marshall County, indicating that its academic performance sits on the stronger side of the county’s range.
The community of Grant is compact, concentrated along Main Street on the plateau of Gunters Mountain. The town has a handful of small-scale services—a grocery store, a pharmacy, a few restaurants, banks—and is surrounded by Appalachian foothills. Walkability is limited to the immediate Main Street area; most families rely on cars. The town has grown slowly in recent years, and its proximity to Huntsville, about a moderate drive northwest, may bring some growth pressure over time. Civic anchors include a public library, a recreation center, a city park, and nearby Cathedral Caverns State Park. No major district-level changes were found in recent reporting, so the school’s administrative context appears stable.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a solid elementary option in a rural, small-town setting. The school’s ELA instruction is a clear strength, while math achievement lags and would benefit from focused attention at home or through school resources. The student body is not highly diverse, and the community is car-dependent and quiet. A family that values a small-town atmosphere with a historic school campus and a county-level performance that is above average will find this school appealing. Those looking for a wide range of enrichment programs or significant demographic diversity will need to look elsewhere, as the data on programs was not available and the student composition is largely homogenous. The missing chronic absenteeism data also leaves a gap for families wondering about daily attendance patterns; a parent may wish to ask the school directly about that metric.
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