Summary:
Zip code 36251 is home to a single school, Ashland Elementary School, a K-6 public school serving 455 students in the Clay County district.
Ashland Elementary is a school on the rise, with its statewide ranking improving dramatically over the past three years—from the 63rd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 76th percentile in 2025-2026. It now holds a 4-star rating and ranks 168th out of 686 elementary schools in Alabama, placing it in the top 25% statewide. The school's clear academic strength is English Language Arts, where proficiency rates in every grade level exceed state averages. For example, 5th-grade English proficiency is 77.78%, well above the state norm. Science is another standout area, with 4th-grade proficiency at 69.64%—nearly 20 points higher than the state average of 50.23%. The school also excels in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 9.9%, lower than both the district (11.4%) and state (12.0%) averages.
However, there are areas of concern. While math proficiency is solid in grades 3-5 (ranging from 54% to 56%), there is a sharp drop in 6th grade, where proficiency falls to just 34%—below the state average of 35.22%. This 20-point decline from 5th grade suggests a potential transition issue that may need targeted intervention. Additionally, math scores show significant year-over-year volatility; for instance, 5th-grade math jumped from 30.36% to 55.56% between school years, indicating possible inconsistency in student cohorts. Despite these challenges, the school performs admirably given that 62.42% of its students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.9:1 and per-student spending that supports its programs, Ashland Elementary demonstrates that effective teaching and support systems can help students succeed regardless of socioeconomic factors.
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