Summary:
Zip code 35045 in Clanton, Alabama, is served by four public schools within the Chilton County district, covering grades PK through 12 and enrolling roughly 2,800 students. The district itself holds a 2-star rating, ranking 96th out of 139 districts in the state.
For parents, the standout school in this area is Clanton Middle School, which is the only school in the zip code with a 3-star rating. It shows a clear upward trend in its state ranking and excels in 8th-grade Science, where 61.54% of students are proficient—well above both the district and state averages. It also leads in 8th-grade English proficiency at 64.29%. In contrast, Chilton County High School faces the most significant challenges, with critically low 11th-grade math proficiency (14.61% versus the state's 27.21%) and a chronic absenteeism rate of 14.7%, nearly double the district average. The two middle schools on Temple Road present a fascinating contrast: Clanton Intermediate School has the highest poverty rate (60% free/reduced lunch) but the best attendance (3.7% chronic absenteeism), while Clanton Middle achieves better academic results despite a slightly lower poverty rate.
A key takeaway is the dramatic decline in math proficiency as students advance. While 3rd-grade math at Clanton Elementary School is near the state average at 44.02%, it plummets to roughly half the state average by 11th grade. There is also a notable "middle school bump" where English and Science scores improve at Clanton Middle before dropping sharply at the high school. Overall, most schools in this area underperform state averages, with the high school representing a critical point of failure due to a combination of low test scores, high absenteeism, and a graduation rate (88.7%) below the state's 91.5%. This suggests systemic issues that require coordinated intervention from elementary through high school.
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