Summary:
Zip code 35672, encompassing the Town Creek area of Alabama, is home to just one high school: Hatton High School, a small, rural institution serving grades 7 through 12 with an enrollment of 536 students.
Hatton High School is part of the Lawrence County district, which ranks in the bottom third of Alabama districts. The school has seen a troubling decline in its state ranking over the past three years, falling from 175th to 274th. Academic performance is mixed and shows a concerning pattern. While 7th graders perform near the state average in English (52.46% proficient), proficiency collapses by 11th grade to just 14.93%—less than half the state average. Mathematics is a significant weakness across all grades, with 8th grade math proficiency at an exceptionally low 3.70%. Science proficiency in 11th grade (22.06%) also trails the state average of 36.17%. Despite these academic struggles, the school maintains a strong 93.9% graduation rate, above the state average, which may suggest a gap between graduation requirements and actual college or career readiness.
One of the most pressing concerns is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 21.2%—nearly double both the district and state rates of about 12%. This likely contributes to the academic declines. The school also serves a significant low-income population, with 47.57% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.2:1 and per-student spending of $10,654, resources are modest. The dramatic drop in English proficiency from 7th to 11th grade, combined with the math struggles and high absenteeism, points to systemic challenges that require targeted intervention, particularly in the middle school years. Parents should be aware that while the school offers a supportive small-school environment, academic performance and attendance are areas of serious concern.
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