The top reported proficiency rate is 45% in English language arts. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Morris Elementary School
Morris Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the city of Montgomery. It is a regular public school within the Montgomery County district. The school is located on Hill Street in the western part of the city.
Montgomery itself is a mid-sized state capital with a distinctive mix of civic functions, military presence from Maxwell Air Force Base, higher education institutions, and manufacturing, most notably the Hyundai plant. The downtown area along the Alabama River has seen revitalization and new urbanism projects, though much of the broader city remains car-dependent. Walkability is concentrated downtown, where the Alabama State Capitol, cultural venues like the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice are located.
The student body at Morris Elementary draws almost entirely from the surrounding neighborhood. The enrollment is substantial for an elementary school serving this grade range. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a very high-poverty context. The student population is composed overwhelmingly of Black students, with a very small share of Hispanic students and an even smaller number of White students. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those learning English was not available for this profile.
State testing results are available for the most recent school year and cover math, English language arts, and science. In English language arts, proficiency rates across the tested grades fell within a moderate band. About one in two fourth graders met the proficiency standard, with third and fifth graders posting results just slightly lower. In math, proficiency rates were lower across all tested grades, and science results at the fourth-grade level matched the math pattern. When compared to other districts in Montgomery County, Morris Elementary's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits in the top quarter. This means that while the absolute proficiency rates are modest, they are stronger than many of the elementary schools operating within the same county context.
The school environment presents a central question for families. Beyond the core academic program, no data on course access, extracurricular offerings, or staffing levels was available for this school, so those dimensions cannot be assessed here. The profile did not include information on chronic absenteeism or disciplinary rates, which can be meaningful indicators in an elementary setting. Available housing data for the area shows that home values are well below state and national benchmarks, and the typical home in this part of Montgomery is substantially more affordable than the typical American home. Rent is also relatively low compared to incomes in the area. This is a housing market that does not present cost barriers for most working families.
For a parent considering Morris Elementary, the picture is one of a school serving a high-needs population where most students are economically disadvantaged. Academic proficiency in reading is a relative bright spot against county peers, while math is an area where a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand the instructional approach and support available. Because this is a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade building, families relying on the school for middle or high school will need to look at subsequent feeder schools within Montgomery County to understand the full academic pathway. The housing market in this part of central Montgomery is among the more affordable in the metropolitan area, which may be a factor for families weighing where to settle. No recent district-wide changes that would affect this school were identified in publicly reported information.
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