The top reported proficiency rate is 88% in English language arts. The lowest is 73% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Fe Burleson Elementary School
FE Burleson Elementary School is one of three elementary schools in the Hartselle City School District and serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The school is located in Hartselle, a city in Morgan County, Alabama, that functions largely as a commuter community for the Decatur and Huntsville metro areas. Hartselle has a historic downtown commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the city’s population has grown steadily as people have moved into the area for work in the nearby industrial centers. The district itself reported a significant capital outlay in a recent fiscal year, pointing to major construction and facility improvements underway.
The student body at FE Burleson is predominantly white, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, and Hispanic, and a very small number of Asian and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is a common measure of economic need. The school serves only early elementary grades, so older-grade measures such as high school graduation rates or advanced coursework do not apply here.
On state assessments administered in the 2024-25 school year, FE Burleson students posted proficiency rates that stood out compared to other districts in Morgan County. When combined across tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile among the county’s districts. In mathematics, the fourth-grade cohort performed especially well, as did both third and fourth graders in English language arts. Science results for fourth graders were also strong. These scores suggest that the school’s academic program is producing results well above the norm for the county, at least in the early grades it serves. Because the data includes only a single year of assessment results, it is not possible to determine whether this is a stable pattern or a one-year snapshot.
The school’s early-grades focus means that families with children in pre-K through fourth grade will find a direct match for their child’s age range, but older siblings would attend other schools in the district. Hartselle City Schools operate three elementary campuses, a junior high, and a high school, so a family with children of multiple ages will have a clear feeder pattern through the system.
Housing in Hartselle is moderately priced relative to national benchmarks, with home values sitting below the national median. The city’s owner-occupancy rate is high, and the typical commute time is moderate, reflecting the town’s role as a bedroom community. The local economy is anchored by education and health care, manufacturing, and retail, with many residents commuting to Decatur and Huntsville for work.
For a family considering this school, the evidence points to a consistently high-performing elementary school in a growing commuter town with a historic downtown identity. The school’s proficiency results are a clear strength, and the district’s recent investment in facilities suggests an administration that is putting money into infrastructure. The student population is not highly diverse, and a notable share of families are economically disadvantaged, which is a characteristic of the community rather than a reflection of the school’s program. Parents who prioritize strong early academic outcomes and a small-town setting with easy access to larger metro areas may find FE Burleson a good fit. Those concerned about the lack of multi-year trend data or who want to understand how the school supports students with disabilities or English learners will find that information was not available in the reported data and may wish to ask the school directly.
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