Summary:
Zip code 36251 is home to a single elementary school, Ashland Elementary School, which serves students in Kindergarten through 6th grade in the town of Ashland, Alabama, as part of the Clay County school district.
For parents considering this area, Ashland Elementary School stands out as a school that is performing well above expectations, especially given that 62.42% of its 455 students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has shown remarkable improvement in its state ranking, jumping from the 63rd percentile in 2023-2024 to the 76th percentile in 2025-2026, earning a 4-star rating. Academically, the school outperforms state averages in 9 of 10 tested areas. English Language Arts is a clear strength, with 3rd and 5th grade proficiency rates exceeding 75%, and 4th grade science proficiency is exceptional at 69.64%—nearly 20 points above the state average. The school also maintains a healthy learning environment with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 9.9%, better than both the district (11.4%) and state (12.0%) averages.
The most significant area of concern is 6th grade mathematics, where proficiency sits at just 34%, below both the district (40.17%) and state (35.22%) averages. This represents a sharp drop from the 54-56% proficiency seen in grades 3 through 5. However, there is reason for optimism: 5th grade math saw a dramatic 25.2 percentage point improvement from the previous year, jumping from 30.36% to 55.56% proficiency. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.9:1 and per-student spending of $9,554, the school appears to use its resources efficiently. Overall, Ashland Elementary School is a positive outlier in Alabama, delivering strong results in a high-poverty setting and showing a clear upward trajectory, with the primary challenge being the transition to more advanced math concepts in 6th grade.
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