The top reported proficiency rate is 38% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lakewood Elementary School
Lakewood Elementary School serves students from Pre-K through sixth grade, making it an elementary and early middle school in one building. It is a regular public school within the Huntsville City district, located in the northern part of the city on Kenwood Drive NW. The school website was not provided in the data, so direct information about its specific programs, after-school activities, or parent engagement structure is not available here; families would want to confirm those details directly with the school.
The student body is diverse in terms of race and ethnicity. A substantial majority of students are Black, with a sizable Hispanic population and a smaller share of white students, alongside students identifying as two or more races. A very large share of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, which is a strong indicator that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, so the school's support structures for those groups are not something we can characterize from the evidence at hand.
State assessment results are available from the 2024-25 school year across multiple tested subjects and grades. The proficiency rates in reading and English language arts show variation by grade. In third grade, about half of students scored proficient. In fourth grade, that share drops to about a quarter. By fifth grade roughly three in ten were proficient, and by sixth grade about four in ten. Across all tested grades, the combined ELA proficiency rate is below the midpoint of the county's other school districts. Math scores are considerably lower across all grade levels tested. In fourth grade, about one in nine students met proficiency, and by sixth grade the figure is in the low single digits. Science results, tested in fourth grade, mirror math with a similarly low proficiency rate.
Taken together, the academic picture is one where Lakewood faces significant challenges in helping students reach state benchmarks, especially in math. The school's overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Madison County. There is no multi-year data available to show whether scores are trending up or down, only a single year's snapshot.
The school's housing market context is mixed. Home values in the surrounding area are below the state average and have seen a slight year-over-year decline. Rents are relatively stable and, compared to national income benchmarks, the area is more affordable than many parts of the country. This positions the school in a part of Huntsville where housing costs are lower, which is consistent with the high rate of economic need among its students.
Huntsville itself is a rapidly growing mid-size city with a strong aerospace and defense economy anchored by Redstone Arsenal and Cummings Research Park. Major public and private employers include NASA, the Army, and contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as manufacturing plants for Toyota and Mazda. The city has seen substantial population growth and recent annexation, and it offers a range of cultural and civic amenities including parks, museums, and performance venues. The broader district, Huntsville City Schools, shifted to a balanced calendar starting in 2023, moving the start of the school year earlier into late July or early August and redistributing breaks through the year. This is a lasting change that affects all families in the district for summer planning and childcare.
For a family considering Lakewood Elementary, the key facts are these. It is a high-poverty school in a growing and economically diverse city. Academic proficiency is well below the county average in all subjects, especially math. A parent would want to understand what academic supports, tutoring, or intervention programs the school provides, and how it addresses the learning gaps visible in the data. The school's small size for its grade band means class sizes may be manageable, but the data does not include staffing ratios or class size details to confirm that. Without information on course access, discipline rates, or special education services, those are areas a prospective parent should investigate directly with the school.
See more original research from School Decision →