The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Jacksonsteele Elementary School
JacksonSteele Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Hayneville, the county seat of Lowndes County in Alabama’s Black Belt region. The school is a regular public school within the Lowndes County school system and operates as a traditional elementary program. Hayneville is a small, rural town that has experienced sustained population decline over recent decades, and the local economy shows the strain of that contraction. Employment is concentrated in retail, wholesale, and food services, with a notable share in public administration, reflecting the county government’s role as an employer. Median household income is low, and the area faces significant economic challenges that are characteristic of the broader Black Belt region.
The school itself enrolls a small student body. The overwhelming majority of students are Black, with a small number of white students and a handful identifying as two or more races. Almost all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the community’s economic circumstances. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about its special education services and English language support.
State assessment results offer a mixed picture. In reading, fourth graders showed proficiency at a rate approaching half of students, while fifth graders posted a substantially higher rate, with the large majority meeting the bar. Third-grade reading results were suppressed, so no figure is available for that grade. The combined reading proficiency across tested grades, which included only fourth and fifth graders, was solidly above the halfway mark. Math results were markedly lower. Fourth-grade math proficiency was very low, and while fifth-grade math improved considerably, the overall math proficiency rate across tested grades reflected a clear soft spot. Science results, available only for fourth grade, were also low. The available data covers only one school year, so there is no multi-year trend to gauge whether these scores represent an established pattern or a recent shift. A parent looking at this school will want to understand what math and science supports are in place and how the school approaches improvement in those subjects.
Because JacksonSteele is an elementary school that does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. That is not a gap in the school’s performance; it simply reflects the grade band it serves. The academic comparison with other districts in Lowndes County could not be calculated because only one district exists in the county, leaving no comparison group. This means the school’s performance is best understood in relation to state averages rather than local peers.
The town of Hayneville covers a very small land area and is centered on a courthouse square with a historic county courthouse. Schools and civic functions are in close proximity within the town center rather than on distant, separated campuses. The town is car-dependent, with no public transit system documented in available sources. State Highway 21 is the primary road, connecting to Interstate 65 and U.S. 80. The area is part of the Selma to Montgomery March National Historic Trail, with the Lowndes Interpretive Center located nearby.
For a family considering this school, the strongest takeaway is that JacksonSteele is a small, high-poverty elementary school in a rural community that is economically strained and depopulating. Reading outcomes in the upper elementary grades are a relative strength, while math and science performance is where the school faces its biggest academic challenge. The school fits a family looking for a close, small-town elementary setting within a district that serves the entire county. A parent who places a premium on strong math and science outcomes will want to explore how the school addresses those subjects and what interventions or enrichment are available.
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