The top reported proficiency rate is 64% in English language arts. The lowest is 39% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Mcdavidjones Elementary School
McDavidJones Elementary School is a regular public school in Citronelle, a small city in northern Mobile County, Alabama. It serves students from prekindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Mobile County Public School System. The school sits within a community that historically grew around oil production and retains a low-density, small-town feel, with a historic downtown core and limited walkability. The district itself reported little in the way of recent notable changes, leaving the school’s day-to-day character shaped largely by local conditions rather than system-wide shifts.
On the state’s ACAP assessments for the 2024-25 school year, the school’s performance across tested subjects and grades placed it above the midpoint among districts in Mobile County. That relative strength, however, masks variation by grade and subject. In English language arts, proficiency was consistently solid, with all three tested grades showing a majority of students meeting the bar. Math performance was more uneven. One grade saw roughly two in five students proficient, another just over half, and a third grade significantly lower, where only about a quarter of students reached proficiency. Science results, available for fourth grade only, showed a similar pattern to the lower math figures, with fewer than half of students proficient. A parent looking closely at the school may want to ask how the school supports math learning in the grades where scores dipped, and whether recent efforts are underway to address those gaps.
The student body is large for an elementary campus, drawing from the surrounding area. A substantial share of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a community where economic need is common. Racially and ethnically, the school is predominantly white, with notable shares of Black students, American Indian or Alaska Native students, and students who identify as two or more races. The school reported no data on the share of students with individualized education programs or English learner status, so a parent with specific needs in those areas should follow up directly with the school to understand available supports.
Housing in the area is relatively affordable compared with national and state benchmarks, and the local economy is anchored by the oil industry, though specific major employers beyond the oil field are not detailed in available sources. The city has experienced slow, modest population growth in recent decades, and its infrastructure includes a municipal golf course, a park with athletic fields, a historic depot museum, and a public library. The area’s schools are part of the Mobile County system, and McDavidJones is one of three public schools within Citronelle itself, alongside a middle school and a high school.
Several data fields typical for elementary schools were not reported. There is no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access, in part because the school’s grade band does not produce a graduation rate or certain secondary-level metrics. The academic results represent a single year, so there is no trend line to indicate whether performance is improving or declining. A parent considering the school should treat the available testing data as a useful snapshot but recognize that a fuller picture would require talking with the school about its current improvement efforts, support programs, and classroom environment. For a family seeking a school with a solid ELA foundation, a diverse student body, and a setting that is clearly part of a small, close-knit town, McDavidJones is worth a closer look, particularly with the understanding that math recovery in the lower-performing grades merits further inquiry.
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