The top reported proficiency rate is 68% in English language arts. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Iola Roberts Elementary School
Iola Roberts Elementary serves kindergarten through fourth grade in Pell City, Alabama, a growing city on Interstate 20 between Birmingham and Atlanta that borders Logan Martin Lake. The school is one of several elementary campuses in the Pell City district, which also includes a junior high, intermediate school, and high school spread across the city rather than clustered downtown. Pell City’s population is steadily rising, driven by the I-20 corridor and lakefront residential development, and the district passed a property tax referendum that funds full-time art and music teachers for all elementary schools, storm shelters, and sports facility upgrades.
The student body at Iola Roberts is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Black students and smaller shares identified as Hispanic and as two or more races. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the records reviewed, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about supports for those populations.
On the most recent state assessments, Iola Roberts posted proficiency rates that in reading and math stood above the midpoint among its tested grade levels. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile relative to other elementary schools in St. Clair County. Reading proficiency was stronger than math, with grade three notably high. Fourth-grade science proficiency was lower, and a parent may want to look into how the school approaches science instruction in the primary years to understand that gap. Because the assessment data covers only a single school year, there is no trend information available to show whether these results represent an improvement or a decline.
The school serves kindergarten through fourth grade only, so there is no graduation rate to report, and course access data such as Advanced Placement or dual-enrollment offerings does not apply at this grade band. The Alabama Literacy Act requires third graders to demonstrate reading proficiency for promotion to fourth grade, a state-mandated policy that families with children at Iola Roberts will encounter directly. The district’s property tax referendum also added full-time art and music teachers to all elementary schools, which means Iola Roberts likely offers dedicated instruction in those subjects, a detail a family may want to confirm with the school.
Pell City’s housing market consists of a mix of older homes near the historic mill district and newer lakefront construction. Home values and rents are moderately priced compared to national benchmarks, and the area remains less expensive than Birmingham’s closer-in suburbs. The city is auto-dependent, with commercial activity clustered near Interstate 20 exits, and while Lakeside Park and the Civic Center provide recreational gathering points, there is no traditional walkable downtown. The lake is the defining amenity, drawing summer residents and permanent homeowners to its shores.
For a family looking at Iola Roberts, the picture is of a school where the majority of students come from lower-income households and where academic outcomes are solid in reading and math relative to other elementary schools in the county. Science is a softer spot. The school is part of a growing district that has invested in arts programming for its elementary campuses. The surrounding community is a small, car-dependent city with a rising population, lake-oriented recreation, and a modest cost of living.
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