Pleasant Valley Elementary School, Jacksonville AL

Original Research by School Decision on Pleasant Valley Elementary School

Pleasant Valley Elementary School is a regular public school serving prekindergarten through sixth grade in Jacksonville, Alabama, part of the Calhoun County school system. It is not a charter or magnet school, and the district has reported no recent leadership or operational changes of lasting note. The school occupies a rural-adjacent setting on Mark Green Road, just outside the main body of town, and feeds into a county middle and high school.

On state assessments administered in the most recent school year, Pleasant Valley’s results present a clear split between subjects. In English language arts, proficiency rates were strong across every tested grade, with the highest performance in third grade and solid results through sixth. Math proficiency was more variable: approximately half or slightly more of students met the state benchmark in grades three, four, and six, while the fifth-grade cohort fell somewhat below that mark. Science is tested only in fourth grade, and that year’s proficiency rate was lower than both math and ELA in the same grade. Overall, when the school’s average proficiency across all subjects and grades is compared to other districts in Calhoun County, Pleasant Valley sits in the top quarter. The ELA numbers are a clear strength; the math results, especially in the middle elementary grades, are an area a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand what supports are in place.

The student body is moderate in size for an elementary school serving this grade span. Racially, the school is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic and Black students and a very small number of students identifying as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a mix of income levels that includes a notable portion of households with lower economic resources. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not reported in the available records, so those dimensions of support are not possible to characterize here.

Jacksonville is a town whose character is shaped by the presence of Jacksonville State University, a major employer and an integrated part of the community. The local economy also draws on healthcare, retail, and nearby military and industrial facilities such as Fort McClellan and the Anniston Army Depot. The town’s population has grown modestly over recent decades, and its land area has expanded, suggesting some new residential development. Home values and rents are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and the housing market has shown steady appreciation. The town offers a historic downtown district, the Chief Ladiga Trail for walking and cycling, several parks, and access to the Talladega National Forest. A severe tornado struck the northern part of Jacksonville several years ago, causing substantial damage to buildings and the university campus, but recovery and rebuilding have been underway since.

For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one of a school that does well in reading and writing but has more uneven math results and a science score that may merit attention. The student body is not especially diverse in racial terms but does include a significant number of students from lower-income households. The surrounding community is a small college town with a stable if not fast-growing economy and a range of outdoor amenities. Pleasant Valley Elementary fits a family that values strong early literacy foundations and is comfortable with a moderately sized, predominantly white school in a university-anchored town, while being willing to ask about math instruction and any additional academic supports available.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 41% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 35% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 27% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 31% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 388%

School 88% · District 67% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 62% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 69% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 681%

School 81% · District 59% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Science

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 47% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

This schoolCalhoun County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income70%28 pp gap