Summary:
Zip code 36264 is home to a single middle school, Cleburne County Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 in Heflin, Alabama, with a total enrollment of 243 students within the Cleburne County school district.
For parents, the standout feature of this school is its strong overall performance, particularly in English Language Arts. In the most recent school year, 5th and 6th graders achieved proficiency rates above 76%, significantly outpacing state averages. The school also boasts a remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.4%, compared to 12% statewide, which points to a highly engaged student body and positive school climate. Its state ranking is strong, placing in the 86th percentile for the 2025-2026 school year, though this ranking has been volatile—it dropped to the 63rd percentile the prior year before rebounding. Mathematics performance is more inconsistent: 6th graders excelled with nearly 56% proficiency (well above the state's 35%), but 5th and 7th graders lagged behind state averages. The 6th grade math score represented a dramatic 36-point improvement from the previous year, suggesting a particularly strong cohort or recent instructional changes. With about half of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the school serves a community with moderate economic challenges, yet still achieves above-average academic outcomes.
Overall, Cleburne County Middle School offers a solid education with clear strengths in literacy and student attendance. The main area for improvement is consistency in math across grade levels. The school's small size likely allows for personalized attention, and its ability to outperform district and state averages in several key metrics despite economic hurdles is encouraging. Parents should view this as a school with strong momentum, but should also be aware of the year-to-year ranking swings and the need to monitor math instruction for younger grades.
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