Summary:
Payne Elementary School is a public elementary school in Selma, Alabama, serving 176 students in grades PK-6. The school has a predominantly African American student body, with 100% of students identifying as such in the 2022-2023 school year. Payne Elementary has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Alabama elementary schools over the past decade, with a current statewide ranking of 540 out of 684 schools and a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.
Payne Elementary faces significant challenges in academic performance, with consistently low test scores across all grade levels and subjects compared to the Selma City district and the state of Alabama. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, only 23.08% of 3rd graders, 20% of 4th graders, 34.48% of 5th graders, and 15.15% of 6th graders were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to the Selma City district scores of 13.73%, 17.8%, 20.39%, and 11.8%, respectively. Additionally, Payne Elementary has an extremely high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 97.16% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in the 2022-2023 school year, significantly higher than the surrounding Selma City schools.
Payne Elementary stands out for its complete lack of racial diversity, with 100% of students identifying as African American, in contrast to the more racially diverse student populations at nearby Dallas County and Selma City schools. When compared to other schools in the area, Payne Elementary consistently underperforms in academic measures, particularly in mathematics and science. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, Payne's 4th-grade science proficiency rate was 17.14%, compared to 23.33% at Meadowview Elementary and 23.26% at Valley Grande Elementary.
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