The top reported proficiency rate is 82% in English language arts. The lowest is 51% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ivalee Elementary School
Ivalee Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in a rural pocket of Etowah County, under the county school district rather than the Attalla city system. The school is small and its student body is predominantly white, with a very small Hispanic population and negligible numbers from other racial and ethnic groups. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, a share that signals a school serving a community with moderate to low household incomes.
Academically, Ivalee presents an uneven picture that a parent will want to examine by grade and subject. On the state's ACAP assessments, reading proficiency is a clear strength in the elementary grades that were tested. Third and fifth graders posted strong results, and fourth graders also performed well. Math results are more mixed. Third and fourth graders showed proficiency at levels that are solid but not as high as their reading scores, while fifth-grade math proficiency dropped noticeably. Science results, available only for fourth grade, showed about half of students meeting the bar. No testing data was reported for sixth grade in either math or reading, as those results were suppressed, likely due to a small number of test-takers. Overall, the school's combined proficiency index places it high among districts in Etowah County and above the midpoint of the county's districts, a notable position given the school's size and economic profile.
The school offers no high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to examine. Course access and program offerings data were not available in the source material, so the reader cannot assess from this information what electives, enrichment, or interventions are in place. A parent may wish to ask the school directly about what academic supports and programs exist, particularly in math, where the fifth-grade results suggest a possible transition point that some students find challenging.
Housing costs in the area are well below both the state and national medians, making this a relatively affordable community for families. The town of Attalla is a small, historically industrial city that has seen its economic base shrink since the late 1800s. It retains a modest downtown with annual community events, some historic buildings, and a dial-a-ride transit service. The broader Etowah County district, which operates Ivalee, recently expanded its career technical education center with new pathways in welding, healthcare science, and information technology. That expansion may benefit Ivalee students once they move on to middle and high school, but the elementary school itself is not directly connected to those programs in the available data.
A significant district-level event was the narrow failure in 2022 of a property tax increase that would have funded teacher salary supplements, school resource officers, technology, and capital improvements. The district continues to operate on a revenue base that has not changed in decades, which may constrain its ability to raise teacher pay and maintain facilities. Families considering this school may want to understand how that fiscal reality affects teacher retention and building conditions at Ivalee.
Ivalee Elementary is a small, rural school where reading proficiency is strong and math achievement is more variable. Its student body is economically diverse but not racially diverse. The surrounding community is affordable and quiet, with limited growth. The school's academic standing is solid relative to other schools in the county, but a parent will want to follow up with the school directly on how it addresses math performance and what programs are available, since that information was not reported in the data reviewed here.
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