Summary:
Zip code 35744 in Dutton, Alabama, is served by a single school, Dutton Elementary School, a small rural institution within the Jackson County district that educates students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.
For parents considering this area, Dutton Elementary School is a standout performer that consistently exceeds expectations. Despite having 64% of its 201 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, the school has earned a 4-star rating for three consecutive years and ranks in the top 15% of all Alabama schools. The academic results are particularly impressive in the upper grades, with 8th graders achieving 91.7% proficiency in English and 66.7% in math—figures that are 33 and 40 percentage points above state averages, respectively. The school also shows remarkable strength in science, with 4th graders at 78.3% proficiency (28 points above the state) and 8th graders at 75% (21 points above). Grades 4 through 6 are especially strong in math, outperforming state averages by 18 to 23 percentage points, suggesting excellent foundational instruction in the middle elementary years.
The one area of concern is 7th grade, where math proficiency dipped to 30.8% and English fell to 61.5% in the most recent year, indicating a possible transition challenge that may warrant additional support. However, the school's overall trajectory is positive, with dramatic year-over-year improvements in 8th grade science (a 52-point jump) and English (a 33-point gain). Chronic absenteeism at 12.6% is nearly identical to the district average and only slightly above the state figure, which is healthy for a school with significant economic disadvantage. With a student-teacher ratio of 16:1 and per-student spending of $11,262, Dutton Elementary School demonstrates that small rural schools can achieve academic excellence through effective use of resources and a proven instructional formula.
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