The top reported proficiency rate is 74% in English language arts. The lowest is 58% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hackleburg Elementary School
Hackleburg Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade in the small, rural town of Hackleburg in northern Marion County. It is a regular public school and part of the Marion County school district. The school building is part of a larger K-12 academic complex that was constructed after the original schools were destroyed by the EF5 tornado that devastated the town. That tornado killed nearly twenty residents and destroyed much of the town, including the Wrangler jeans distribution facility that was the largest local employer. The facility eventually reopened, and the school complex was rebuilt. The town’s population has been declining gradually, and the area remains low-density and car-oriented, with limited commercial activity and no public transit or significant pedestrian street life identified in available sources.
The student body is small for an elementary school serving seven grade levels, and the composition is overwhelmingly white. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that many families in the community face economic challenges. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the most recent reporting, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the supports and services available for those populations.
Hackleburg Elementary’s academic performance, based on the Alabama state assessments administered in the most recent school year, shows a clear pattern. In English language arts, proficiency rates across grades three, four, and five are strong, with the highest rate in grade three and rates above the majority in all three grades. In mathematics, performance is more mixed. Grade three math proficiency is well above half, but grade four math drops to a level that is about half proficient, and grade five math is just above half. Science is tested in grade four only, and about half of students scored proficient on that assessment. When the school’s overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades is compared to other districts in Marion County, it lands in the top quartile. That comparison set includes only two districts, so the top quartile placement means Hackleburg Elementary sits at the higher end among its county peers.
Because the school serves only through grade six, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The district brief found little in the way of recent parent-relevant changes at the district level, so the local context has been stable in that regard. Housing in the Hackleburg area is notably affordable. Home values are well below both the state and national benchmarks, and the estimated monthly mortgage payment on a typical home is modest. For a family looking for a low-cost housing market in a rural setting, this area stands out. The town’s connections are via US Highway 43, linking to Russellville to the north and Hamilton, the county seat, to the southwest.
What Hackleburg Elementary offers is a solid academic foundation in English language arts, with math and science proficiency that is more variable but still generally above average for the county. The school’s small size means students are in a close-knit setting, and the rebuilding of the physical campus after the tornado reflects community commitment. A parent considering this school should be aware that the economic context is stretched for many families, that the town is remote from larger urban centers, and that the data on special education and English learner services is not reported in the available records. For a family that values a small rural elementary school with a strong literacy showing and affordable housing, Hackleburg Elementary is a plausible fit.
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