Summary:
Zip code 36453 in Kinston, Alabama, is served by a single school, Kinston School, a PK-12 campus with 524 students that operates under the Coffee County district, which ranks in the top 20% of Alabama districts.
For parents, the standout feature of Kinston School is its remarkable consistency in exceeding state averages across nearly every grade and subject. The school boasts a perfect 100% graduation rate, compared to 91.5% statewide, and an almost nonexistent chronic absenteeism rate of 0.3%—40 times better than the state average of 12%. Academically, the strongest performance comes in the elementary grades, where proficiency rates are often 30-40 points above state benchmarks. For example, 5th grade English scores hit 97.5% (state: 69.5%), and 3rd grade math reached 82% (state: 44.9%). The school also shows strong science results, with 4th grade at 81.6% proficiency versus 50.2% statewide. While middle school math dips in 8th grade (34.3% vs. 26.4% state), it still remains above average, and 11th grade English is the only subject where the school's edge narrows to just a few points (35.1% vs. 33.7% state).
Despite being classified as an "Alternative" school and having 42% of students on free/reduced lunch, Kinston School delivers results that challenge that label. The school's near-perfect attendance culture, small class sizes (16.6:1 student-teacher ratio), and strong elementary foundation appear to drive its success. Year-over-year data shows improvement in most areas, including a 27-point jump in 4th grade science and a 13.5-point gain in 3rd grade math, though 8th grade math declined by 21 points. For families in this rural area, this single school provides a cohesive, high-performing educational environment from kindergarten through high school, with the only notable weaknesses being middle school math and high school English—both of which still meet or exceed state averages.
Thank you for your feedback!