Decatur City School District

212 4th Ave Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(District boundaries shown in map)
5/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Decatur City School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in Alabama for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 15 public elementary schools serving 6,018 students in Decatur City School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 5/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public elementary schools in Alabama.
Public Elementary Schools in Decatur City School District have an average math proficiency score of 29% (versus the Alabama public elementary school average of 31%), and reading proficiency score of 43% (versus the 49% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 74% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the Alabama public elementary school average of 50% (majority Black).

Overview

This School District
This State (AL)
# Schools
21 Schools
1,087 Schools
# Students
8,902 Students
522,452 Students
# Teachers
598 Teachers
29,608 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
15:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Decatur City School District, which is ranked within the bottom 50% of all 145 school districts in Alabama (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has increased from 87% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (AL)
#74 out of 145 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
28%
30%
41%
47%
35%
38%
93%
88%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.71
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
1%
1%
% Hispanic
37%
12%
% Black
29%
31%
% White
27%
50%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
6%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,193 is higher than the state median of $12,875. The school district revenue/student has grown by 7% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,359 is higher than the state median of $12,097. The school district spending/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
This School District
This State (AL)
Total Revenue
$126 MM
$9,671 MM
Spending
$128 MM
$9,086 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,193
$12,875
Spending / Student
$14,359
$12,097

Best Decatur City School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary School
Magnet School
(Math: 67% | Reading: 77%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
801 Wilson St Nw
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3056
Gr: 3-5 | 297 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 52%
Rank: #22.
Eastwood Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
1802 26th Ave Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3043
Gr: PK-5 | 272 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 34%
Rank: #33.
Walter Jackson Elementary School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1950 Park St Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3031
Gr: PK-5 | 251 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
Frances Nungester Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
726 Tammy St Sw
Decatur, AL 35603
(256) 552-3079
Gr: PK-5 | 428 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 84%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
Julian Harris Elementary School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
1922 Mcauliffe Dr Sw
Decatur, AL 35603
(256) 552-3096
Gr: PK-5 | 349 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #66.
Woodmeade Elementary School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
1400 19th Ave Sw
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3023
Gr: PK-5 | 361 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 85%
Rank: #77.
Chestnut Grove Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
3205 Cedarhurst Dr Sw
Decatur, AL 35603
(256) 552-3092
Gr: PK-5 | 436 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 65%
Rank: #88.
Decatur Middle School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 39%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
1011 Prospect Drive Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3035
Gr: 6-8 | 818 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 68%
Rank: #9 - 109. - 10.
Austin Middle School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2715 Danville Rd Sw
Decatur, AL 35603
(256) 552-4622
Gr: 6-7 | 727 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: #9 - 109. - 10.
Bankscaddell Elementary School
(Math: 22% | Reading: 35%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
211 Gordon Dr Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3040
Gr: PK-5 | 477 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 87%
Rank: #11 - 1211. - 12.
Austinville Elementary School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2320 Clara Ave Sw
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3050
Gr: PK-5 | 463 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 89%
Rank: #11 - 1211. - 12.
Oak Park Elementary School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
1218 16th Ave Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3033
Gr: PK-5 | 481 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 84%
Rank: #1313.
West Decatur Elementary School
(Math: 6-9% | Reading: 20-24%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
708 Memorial Dr Sw
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3027
Gr: PK-5 | 407 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 90%
Rank: n/an/a
Benjamin Davis Elementary School
Magnet School
417 Monroe Dr Nw
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 552-3025
Gr: PK-2 | 251 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: n/an/a
Long Term Case
Alternative School
406 2nd Ave Se
Decatur, AL 35601
(256) 308-2308
Gr: K-12

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 21 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 8,902 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 15:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 73%
  • : 93% (Top 20% in AL)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 28% (Top 50%)
  • : 41% (Btm 50%)
  • : 35% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AL Dept. of Education

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