West Decatur Elementary School, Decatur AL

Original Research by School Decision on West Decatur Elementary School

West Decatur Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Decatur, Alabama, as a regular public school within the Decatur City district. Located in a mid-sized river city with a strong industrial and manufacturing base, the school sits in a community where the economy is anchored by companies like United Launch Alliance, 3M, and Nucor, and where the Tennessee River supports a busy port. Decatur has seen modest population growth over recent years, and the area remains a mix of established residential neighborhoods and industrial zones.

The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Hispanic, with a smaller Black population, and a modest share of white students. A very high proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. The school does not report data on students with individualized education programs or English learner status, so those details are not available for this account.

In terms of academic performance on the state’s assessment, West Decatur’s results in the most recent testing year show proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science that, taken together, place the school in the bottom quarter when compared with other districts in Morgan County. In each tested grade, the share of students meeting proficiency standards is below the county median. This pattern holds across both math and reading in grades three, four, and five, and is especially stark in fourth-grade science, where the proficiency rate is very low. Because this is the first year of data available, there is no trend to compare against. Parents looking at these results will want to discuss with the school how instruction is being tailored and what supports are in place for students who are behind.

The school’s grade band means it does not have a graduation rate, since it does not serve high school grades. Similarly, measures like chronic absenteeism and discipline data are not provided here. The absence of such data does not imply a problem but simply that they were not reported or not applicable for this elementary setting.

West Decatur is a high-poverty school in a community with a working-class character. Its small enrollment and diverse student body reflect the surrounding neighborhood. For families considering this school, the key considerations are the academic challenges evident in state test results and the high level of economic need among the student population. The school does not appear to offer specialized programs like magnet or charter designations, based on available information. The district has not been the subject of recent publicly noted changes or initiatives. This is a straightforward neighborhood elementary school where a parent’s next step would likely be a direct conversation with the principal about academic support, class size, and how the school addresses the needs of its students.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 40% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 39% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 39% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 61% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 54% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 63% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Science

Grade 411%

School 11% · District 30% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

This schoolDecatur City, 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

English language arts

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income0%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income0%31 pp gap