Summary:
Washington County, Alabama is home to two elementary schools—Chatom Elementary School and McIntosh Elementary School—serving students from Pre-K through grades 4 and 5 respectively, within the Washington County district, which currently holds a 2-star rating.
Chatom Elementary is the clear standout in this district, ranking in the 79th percentile statewide (4 stars) and outperforming McIntosh by a wide margin in nearly every subject. For example, 90.2% of Chatom's 3rd graders are proficient in English—about 40 points above the state average—while McIntosh's 3rd graders achieve 69.7%. In 4th-grade math, Chatom posts 56.5% proficiency versus McIntosh's 38.7%. McIntosh, however, deserves credit for a remarkable turnaround: it has jumped from the 4th percentile (0 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 35th percentile (2 stars) in 2025-2026, a 31-point improvement in just two years. Both schools have also shown dramatic gains in math, with Chatom's 3rd-grade scores leaping from 25% to 56.9% and McIntosh's 4th-grade scores rising from 10.5% to 38.7% year over year.
For parents, the key takeaway is that while Chatom offers exceptional academics—especially in English—both schools face serious challenges with chronic absenteeism, which runs at 28.9% at Chatom and 35.7% at McIntosh, compared to the 12% state average. McIntosh also serves a higher percentage of students in poverty (73.1% free/reduced lunch) than Chatom (50.8%), and receives about $1,374 less per student in funding. Science scores are surprisingly similar at both schools (around 50% proficiency), suggesting more consistent instruction in that subject. If you're choosing between the two, Chatom is the stronger academic option, but McIntosh's rapid improvement suggests it is worth watching as reforms take hold.
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