The top reported proficiency rate is 65% in English language arts. The lowest is 47% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Lee Elementary School
Lee Elementary sits on U.S. Route 90 in the small rural town of Lee, in eastern Madison County in Florida's Panhandle. The town describes itself with the motto "Little but Proud" and is genuinely small, set within a county shaped by agriculture, timber, and cattle ranching. There is no commercial downtown in Lee itself; the county seat of Madison lies a short drive to the northwest along US 90, and the school fronts the highway directly. Nearby natural draws include Madison Blue Spring State Park and the Twin Rivers State Forest, and the Suwannee River is close to the east. The surrounding landscape is rural and low-density, and the county has seen long-term modest population decline with little new residential development expected. In fact, publicly reported accounts indicate that significant acreage in the county was recently set to be permanently protected from development through a state farmland preservation program.
The single most consequential fact for any family reading this is that Lee Elementary, as a neighborhood school, closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year. The Madison County School Board voted in July 2024 to close three outlying elementary schools, including Lee, and to consolidate all traditional public Pre-K through sixth grade students at Madison County Central School beginning in 2025-26, publicly citing declining enrollment over several years. Following the closure, the district moved to list the Lee school property for sale, which publicly reported sources indicate signals the change is permanent. Families in Lee whose children would have attended this school are now assigned to the consolidated campus, which publicly reported accounts describe as a meaningful commute away. Whether that trade-off works for a given family depends on factors like transportation, community ties, and tolerance for a longer school day travel. A parent would want to contact the district directly to confirm current enrollment options, transportation arrangements, and what services transfer to the new campus.
The academic data in this profile reflects the school's final year of operation. On Florida's FAST assessments, the picture is genuinely mixed across grade levels. Reading and language arts results were a clear strength in third and sixth grades, where most students tested as proficient, and science scores at fifth grade were also solid. Math results were weaker overall, particularly in fifth grade where fewer than a third of students reached proficiency, though sixth grade math came in above the midpoint. Fourth grade ELA showed a softer result as well. The data does not include multi-year trend information, so it is not possible to say whether scores were improving or declining.
The enrollment at the time of the last data collection was small, consistent with the school's rural setting and the declining population trends the district cited. A substantial share of students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the surrounding area. Demographic data showed a majority white enrollment with Hispanic and Black students each making up a meaningful portion of the student body. Data on English learners and students with IEPs was not reported in the available records.
On housing, the local market is notably more affordable than the Florida statewide benchmark. Home values in the zip code have seen modest appreciation. Rental data was not available for this area. For buyers coming from larger Florida metro areas, the affordability gap is real and wide, though the rural setting and distance from employment centers are the context for that pricing.
There is no graduation rate for this school; it serves only through sixth grade, so that measure does not apply. There are no AP, dual enrollment, or career-pathway programs relevant to this grade band. The neighbor comparison set for Madison County contained only a single district, so no meaningful peer benchmarking could be produced.
The practical reality for a family considering this community now is that the neighborhood school experience Lee Elementary represented is no longer available. The relevant question has shifted to the consolidated campus in Madison, and a family's assessment of that school and the commute it requires is where the decision lives.
See more original research from School Decision →