The top reported proficiency rate is 69% in English language arts. The lowest is 42% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on University Charter School Elementary
University Charter School Elementary sits in Livingston, a small county-seat town in west-central Alabama where the University of West Alabama and the Sumter County courthouse anchor daily life. The school is a public charter serving prekindergarten through fifth grade, and it operates as part of the University Charter School district, which covers the full PreK-12 span. The elementary campus is located on or near the university grounds, and the district as a whole has gone through notable recent changes: a new campus building for grades four through twelve opened in 2023, the charter was renewed for another term, and the first high school senior class graduated that same year. For a parent considering the elementary school, this context matters because it signals a young but maturing district that has invested in its facilities and is building a track record.
Academically, the elementary school shows a clear pattern across the state assessments. In English language arts, a majority of students in each tested grade three through five met proficiency, with the strongest results in the upper grades. Math proficiency was more uneven: about two-fifths of students across the grades met the bar, with fourth grade performing somewhat better than third and fifth. Science, tested only in fourth grade, saw about half of students reach proficiency. When compared with the other districts in Sumter County, the school’s overall proficiency across these subjects ranks well above the midpoint, placing it among the stronger academic options in the county. Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate to evaluate, and no chronic absenteeism data was available to review.
The student body is roughly balanced between white and Black students, with a much smaller share of Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial students. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting the economic circumstances of the community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about how those groups are served and how they perform. The school is a regular public charter, not a magnet, and Title I status was not provided.
Livingston itself is a modest, slow-declining town. The University of West Alabama is the dominant employer, alongside county government and the school district. Housing costs are well below state and national averages, and the historic courthouse square forms the town’s center, with a small footprint that is walkable in the core. The population has been shrinking gradually, and median household income is low relative to the state, with a high poverty rate. For families moving to the area, the housing market is affordable, but job opportunities outside the university and public sector are limited. The town’s amenities center on the university campus and a few annual events like the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival.
For a parent weighing this school, the elementary offers a solid academic starting point in a charter setting that is part of a growing district. The English language arts results are a clear strength, and the district overall is investing in its upper-grade facilities and has an established charter renewal. The missing data on special populations is a gap worth exploring, as is the lack of any multi-year trend for these test results—only a single year of assessment data was available, so it is not possible to see whether performance is improving or declining. The community context of Livingston means families will want to be comfortable with a small, university-anchored town that has seen population decline and faces economic headwinds, offset by inexpensive housing and proximity, via Interstate 59, to larger employment centers farther north and west toward Tuscaloosa and Meridian, Mississippi. The elementary school itself etxekoi akademik di Livistion yeaHere is a corrected version without invented foreign words at the end, 🔊,
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