Loachapoka Elementary School, Loachapoka AL

Original Research by School Decision on Loachapoka Elementary School

Loachapoka Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small, rural town of Loachapoka, Alabama, a community that sits just west of Auburn and functions largely as a residential suburb of that larger city. The school is part of the Lee County school system, which has been experiencing enrollment growth in some areas, particularly near Smiths Station and Fort Moore, and is currently studying high school capacity options. Loachapoka itself has seen a stable to slightly declining population over the past two decades and remains a very small town with a historic district, a museum complex, and an annual fall festival.

The school enrolls a student body that is majority Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and a smaller share of white students. A very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic context of the community. The school serves pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, so there is no graduation rate to report, as that measure applies only to high schools.

State assessment results from the most recent testing year show a mixed picture across subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency rates varied noticeably by grade, with fifth grade reaching a level that was the strongest in the school, while sixth grade was considerably lower. In math, the pattern was similar: fifth grade was the strongest, while third, fourth, and sixth grades were all well below that mark. Science results, available only for fourth grade, were very low. When compared to other districts in Lee County, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades placed in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand the specific instructional supports in place.

The school serves a student body of modest size for its grade band. The student population is majority Black, with a substantial Hispanic minority and a smaller share of white students. A very large proportion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.

Loachapoka Elementary is a regular public school and is not a charter or magnet school. It is part of the Lee County district, which has been experiencing enrollment growth in some areas, particularly near Smiths Station and Fort Moore, and is studying high school capacity options. That growth pressure is concentrated in other parts of the county, not in Loachapoka itself, where the population has been stable to slightly declining. The town is car-dependent and rural, with a historic district and a museum complex as its civic anchors. For families considering this school, the academic performance data shows a school where proficiency rates in math and science are areas of concern, while English language arts results are mixed by grade. The school serves a high-need population, and a parent may want to discuss with the school what academic interventions and supports are in place.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 316%

School 16% · District 45% · ▼ 29 pts below district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 48% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 540%

School 40% · District 46% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 619%

School 19% · District 36% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · District 73% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 67% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 557%

School 57% · District 68% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 63% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Science

Grade 49%

School 9% · District 48% · ▼ 39 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

This schoolLee 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

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income54%Higher-income100%46 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income0%21 pp gap