Summary:
Zip code 35672 in Town Creek, Alabama, is served by three schools within the Lawrence County district, collectively educating 1,181 students across grades PK-12 in a rural setting with notable economic diversity.
For parents, the standout choice academically is Hatton Elementary School, which earns a 3-star rating and ranks in the 57th percentile statewide. Its 3rd grade math proficiency (62%) and ELA proficiency (74%) both exceed state averages, and it outperforms Hazlewood Elementary School across nearly every subject and grade level. However, Hatton High School presents a mixed picture: it maintains a strong 93.9% graduation rate but has seen its state ranking plummet from the 54th to the 28th percentile over three years, with particularly weak math scores (only 3.7% of 8th graders proficient). Hazlewood Elementary, despite having the highest poverty rate (85% free/reduced lunch), boasts the best attendance in the area with just 3.9% chronic absenteeism—far better than the district's 12.4%—though its academic performance lags significantly.
Key takeaways for families include a stark economic divide between the two elementary schools, with a 41-percentage-point gap in free/reduced lunch rates. There is also a troubling transition problem: math proficiency drops dramatically from 40.35% in 6th grade at Hatton Elementary to just 6.56% in 7th grade at Hatton High School. Interestingly, per-student spending does not predict success—Hazlewood spends the most ($10,991) yet performs worst, while Hatton Elementary spends the least ($8,716) and performs best. The district overall ranks in the 29th percentile statewide, suggesting systemic challenges, though Hatton Elementary proves that strong early instruction is achievable even in this context.
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