Wacoochee Elementary School

Q: Is Wacoochee Elementary School a good school?

Wacoochee Elementary School ranks 187 th of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Wacoochee Elementary School is a public elementary school serving grades PK-6 in Salem, Alabama, with a student population of 621. The school is part of the Lee County School District, which is ranked 57 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Wacoochee Elementary consistently outperforms the Lee County and Alabama state averages in standardized test scores, with its 4th-grade students scoring 70.42% proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 45.81% for Lee County and 38.32% for the state. The school has a strong statewide ranking, placing in the top 30% of Alabama elementary schools, and it performs well across various student subgroups. Wacoochee Elementary also serves a significant population of economically disadvantaged students, with 57.49% of its students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Beulah Elementary, South Smiths Station Elementary, East Smiths Station Elementary, and West Smiths Station Elementary, Wacoochee Elementary outperforms them in academic metrics and statewide rankings. The school's consistent performance and ability to serve a diverse student population, including a higher percentage of African American and Hispanic students compared to nearby schools, make it a standout institution in the region.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-6

125 Lee Road 254
Salem, AL 36874-3309

(334) 664-4072

District: Lee County

SchoolDigger Rank:
187^th of 684 Alabama Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,808

Students who attend Wacoochee Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Smiths Station Junior High School
High:	Smiths Station High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.5

Number of students: 596

Racial breakdown:

White:

76.8%

African American:

12.2%

Two or more races:

5.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 61.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Wacoochee Elementary School ranks better than 72.7% of elementary schools in Alabama. It also ranks 4^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Lee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 70.36. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (76.8%), African American (12.2%), two or more races (5.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 61.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Wacoochee Elementary School is 14.5, which is the 3^rd best among 7 elementary schools in the Lee County School District. (See more...)

Compare Wacoochee Elementary School employs 41 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Wacoochee Elementary School is $8,808. 3 elementary schools in the Lee County School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Wacoochee Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Wacoochee Elementary School 187^th of 684 Alabama public elementary schools. (See Wacoochee Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

White students:

Lee County:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee County 57^th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Wacoochee Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2014	68.90	181^st	695	74.0%
2015	67.42	191^st	691	72.4%
2016	65.12	220^th	691	68.2%
2017	60.98	249^th	688	63.8%
2018	56.40	311^th	680	54.3%
2019	61.47	252^nd	681	63.0%
2021	63.66	234^th	692	66.2%
2022	65.38	218^th	687	68.3%
2023	72.18	171^st	680	74.9%
2024	70.36	187^th	684	72.7%

See the entire list of Alabama Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	49.74	117^th	280	58.2%
2018	46.63	170^th	344	50.6%
2019	57.33	128^th	392	67.3%
2021	25.23	330^th	398	17.1%
2022	50.48	142^nd	345	58.8%
2023	55.36	120^th	373	67.8%
2024	54.72	147^th	395	62.8%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	59.91	202^nd	567	64.4%
2018	62.58	218^th	651	66.5%
2019	59.72	246^th	649	62.1%
2021	61.49	234^th	653	64.2%
2022	68.27	167^th	651	74.3%
2023	65.14	193^rd	623	69.0%
2024	72.73	140^th	670	79.1%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	59.54	243^rd	639	62.0%
2018	60.53	262^nd	640	59.1%
2019	61.08	237^th	646	63.3%
2021	51.37	317^th	656	51.7%
2022	56.50	275^th	656	58.1%
2023	69.02	192^nd	645	70.2%
2024	66.19	198^th	650	69.5%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	59.17	256^th	639	59.9%
2018	53.80	310^th	650	52.3%
2019	60.28	247^th	650	62.0%
2021	70.98	165^th	669	75.3%
2022	69.41	183^rd	669	72.6%
2023	72.34	157^th	649	75.8%
2024	71.73	179^th	655	72.7%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	60.82	94^th	336	72.0%
2018	56.09	159^th	423	62.4%
2019	69.46	95^th	426	77.7%
2021	43.45	213^th	426	50.0%
2022	65.32	105^th	426	75.4%
2023	48.54	193^rd	427	54.8%
2024	56.32	150^th	420	64.3%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	38.56	222^nd	369	39.8%
2018	39.20	323^rd	508	36.4%
2019	43.75	301^st	529	43.1%
2021	54.02	225^th	539	58.3%
2022	53.95	226^th	540	58.1%
2023	66.08	147^th	528	72.2%
2024	64.64	168^th	535	68.6%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Wacoochee Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2012	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
2013	400	88	0	15	3	1	8	515
2014	411	85	0	22	5	1	8	532
2015	426	74	0	19	4	1	17	541
2016	434	80	0	15	4	1	8	542
2017	419	87	2	12	1	0	15	536
2018	458	113	4	18	1	0	12	606
2019	475	101	3	17	3	0	11	610
2020	460	96	1	24	2	0	29	612
2021	474	96	1	30	0	0	35	636
2022	489	83	1	26	1	0	31	631
2023	476	78	1	27	1	0	38	621
2024	458	73	1	28	1	0	35	596

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Wacoochee Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	0	32.0	n/a	n/a
2013	515	36.0	14.3	59.2
2014	532	33.0	16.1	55.8
2015	541	30.0	18.0	57.5
2016	542	32.0	16.9	58.3
2017	536	32.5	16.4	52.2
2018	606	32.0	18.9	55.1
2019	610	33.0	18.4	50
2020	612	34.0	18.0	48.7
2021	636	35.0	18.1	39.5
2022	631	33.0	19.1	43.7
2023	621	33.0	18.8	57.5
2024	596	41.0	14.5	61.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Wacoochee Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2012	0	32.0	n/a	n/a
2013	515	36.0	14.3	59.2
2014	532	33.0	16.1	55.8
2015	541	30.0	18.0	57.5
2016	542	32.0	16.9	58.3
2017	536	32.5	16.4	52.2
2018	606	32.0	18.9	55.1
2019	610	33.0	18.4	50
2020	612	34.0	18.0	48.7
2021	636	35.0	18.1	39.5
2022	631	33.0	19.1	43.7
2023	621	33.0	18.8	57.5
2024	596	41.0	14.5	61.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Wacoochee Elementary School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$813 (9.2%)	$7,979 (90.6%)	$8,808

Data source: Alabama Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Wacoochee Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 252^nd of 681 Elementary schools	Ranks 171^st of 680 Elementary schools	11.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Wacoochee Elementary School)	57	58.9	1.9%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Lee County)	62.9	47.2	15.7%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	57.5	43.6	13.9%
4th Grade Mathematics (Wacoochee Elementary School)	55.4	55.7	0.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Lee County)	45.4	43.3	2.1%
4th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	47.3	34.9	12.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Wacoochee Elementary School)	46.7	44.9	1.8%
5th Grade Mathematics (Lee County)	46.3	40.7	5.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	44.9	33.9	10.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Wacoochee Elementary School)	47.8	32.2	15.6%
6th Grade Mathematics (Lee County)	54	36.9	17.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	45.3	30.8	14.5%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	610	621	1.8%
African American	101	78	22.8%
American Indian	3	1	66.7%
Asian	3	1	66.7%
Hispanic	17	27	58.8%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	475	476	0.2%
Two or More Races	11	38	245.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	50%	57.5%	7.5%

Schools Near Wacoochee Elementary School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2024)				Summative Assessment Science (2024)	Summative Assessment English (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 3rd Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Wacoochee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	125 Lee Road 254	Salem	36874	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 664-4072	596	41	14.5	61.1%	458 (76.8%)	73 (12.2%)	28 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	35 (5.9%)	70.4	187^th of 684 public elementary schools	72.7%		72.2	171^st of 680 public elementary schools	74.9%	16	36.1	70.4	40.5	26.1	64.8	66.3	73.2	77.4	61.4	$8,808	$813	$7,979
West Smiths Station Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	150 Stringer Weeks Road	Smiths Station	36877	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 664-4050	824	54	15.2	51.1%	531 (64.4%)	147 (17.8%)	76 (9.2%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	64 (7.8%)	72.7	171^st of 684 public elementary schools	75.0%		70.8	179^th of 680 public elementary schools	73.7%	8	39.3	51.4	59.3	32.4	51.4	72.9	68.8	75.6	65.9	$9,088	$851	$8,220
South Smiths Station Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	80 Brown Road	Smiths Station	36877	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 664-4062	659	44	14.9	59.9%	456 (69.2%)	106 (16.1%)	56 (8.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	38 (5.8%)	82.5	102^nd of 684 public elementary schools	85.1%		81.2	106^th of 680 public elementary schools	84.4%	4	54.4	51.7	55.9	51.4	55.0	86.1	68.1	82.4	67.6	$8,525	$1,070	$7,439
East Smiths Station Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	171 Mill Creek Drive	Smiths Station	36877	Lee County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 664-4061	792	51	15.5	65.4%	484 (61.1%)	175 (22.1%)	70 (8.8%)	6 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	55 (6.9%)	66.4	209^th of 684 public elementary schools	69.4%		70.1	185^th of 680 public elementary schools	72.8%	24	42.2	36.9	63.2	31.1	43.3	75.8	64.1	84.8	50.5	$8,737	$1,212	$7,508
Beulah Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4747 Lee Road 270	Valley	36854	Chambers County	Lee County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 705-6021	670	47	14.2	73.4%	474 (70.7%)	101 (15.1%)	53 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (6.3%)	35.8	458^th of 684 public elementary schools	33.0%		52.9	326^th of 680 public elementary schools	52.1%	132	41.8	23.0	38.5	19.2	29.9	57.8	28.2	60.7	33.3	$8,119	$1,028	$7,075
Lakewood Elementary School	Public, Magnet	3-5	24 Explorer Drive	Phenix City	36867	Russell County	Phenix City	No	Yes	No	No	(334) 732-1173	470	22	20.9	53.2%	241 (51.3%)	148 (31.5%)	46 (9.8%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.2%)	88.9	64^th of 684 public elementary schools	90.6%		86.3	67^th of 680 public elementary schools	90.1%	3	52.5	67.3	74.5		66.0	78.9	81.7	85.8		$8,237	$802	$7,417
Lakewood Primary School	Public	K-2	18 Explorer Road	Phenix City	36867	Russell County	Phenix City	No	No	No	No	(334) 664-9955	517	29	17.8	53.4%	241 (46.6%)	164 (31.7%)	52 (10.1%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	55 (10.6%)								(n/a)										$8,727	$1,216	$7,491
Ladonia Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	9 Woodland Dr	Phenix City	36869	Russell County	Russell County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 468-5805	441	26	16.9	70.5%	242 (54.9%)	109 (24.7%)	44 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	42 (9.5%)	46.7	377^th of 684 public elementary schools	44.9%		48.9	352^nd of 680 public elementary schools	48.2%	25	43.6	26.2	20.3		41.5	74.0	52.3	54.0		$11,465	$2,625	$8,838
Dixie Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4914 US Highway 80 W	Opelika	36804	Lee County	Russell County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 468-5323	239	15	16.4	73.2%	162 (67.8%)	50 (20.9%)	11 (4.6%)	2 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (5.9%)	56.2	302^nd of 684 public elementary schools	55.8%		46	371^st of 680 public elementary schools	45.4%	69	14.3	41.7	25.0		62.5	57.1	75.0	70.4		$11,684	$2,569	$9,113
Jeter Primary School	Public	K-2	700 Jeter Ave	Opelika	36801	Lee County	Opelika City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 745-9723	434	28	15.3	68.2%	154 (35.5%)	221 (50.9%)	33 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	25 (5.8%)								(n/a)										$10,721	$1,733	$8,934

Frequently Asked Questions about Wacoochee Elementary School

How many students attend Wacoochee Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 596 students attended Wacoochee Elementary School.

Is Wacoochee Elementary School a good school?

Wacoochee Elementary School ranks 187^th of 684 Alabama elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Wacoochee Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Wacoochee Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Smiths Station Junior High School
High : Smiths Station High School

What district is Wacoochee Elementary School in?

Lee County

What is the racial makeup of Wacoochee Elementary School?

Students at Wacoochee Elementary School are 77% White, 12% African American, 6% Two or more races, 5% Hispanic.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.