Summary:
Zip code 35045, encompassing Clanton, Alabama, is home to just one public high school, Chilton County High School, which serves grades 9 through 12 with an enrollment of 833 students.
For parents considering this area, Chilton County High School presents a mixed picture of academic performance. The school consistently earns a 2-star rating from the state, ranking in the 38th percentile of Alabama high schools. In the most recent school year, proficiency rates lagged significantly behind state averages in all core subjects, with only 14.61% of students proficient in math (compared to 27.21% statewide) and 24.72% in science (versus 36.17% statewide). English proficiency was the relative strength at 29.14%, just 4.6 points below the state average and notably higher than the Chilton County district average of 26.62%. The most encouraging news is a dramatic 10.6-point improvement in English proficiency from the prior year, suggesting a successful intervention. However, math proficiency declined by 2.8 points over the same period, and chronic absenteeism stands at a concerning 14.7%—well above both the district (8.3%) and state (12.0%) rates.
The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 55.58% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and operates with a student-teacher ratio of 20.2:1. The graduation rate of 88.7% trails both the district and state averages. While the school's state ranking has remained flat despite the English gains—indicating other schools are improving at a similar pace—the strong literacy progress demonstrates that targeted efforts can work. The key challenges ahead are replicating that success in math and science while tackling the absenteeism problem that likely undermines overall achievement.
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