Summary:
Zip code 36518 is home to a single elementary school, Chatom Elementary School, which serves grades PK through 4 in the rural community of Chatom, Alabama, within the Washington County school district.
For parents considering this area, Chatom Elementary stands out as a strong academic performer, particularly in English Language Arts. In the most recent 2025-2026 school year, 3rd-grade English proficiency reached an impressive 90.2%, far exceeding both the district (76.27%) and state (64.75%) averages. The school also earned a 4-star rating and ranked in the 79th percentile statewide, a significant jump from the previous year's 61st percentile. Mathematics has shown remarkable improvement as well, with 3rd-grade math proficiency more than doubling from 25% to 56.86% in a single year, and 4th-grade math also climbing to 56.52%—both above state averages. However, the school's performance in 4th-grade science dipped slightly to 50%, now just below the state average of 50.23%.
The school faces notable challenges, most critically a chronic absenteeism rate of 28.9%, which is more than double the state average of 12.0%. With about 50.8% of students receiving free or reduced lunch, the school serves a population with significant economic need, yet still achieves strong results. The student-teacher ratio is a reasonable 16.2:1, and per-student spending was $10,954 (2018-2019 data). While the school's ranking has fluctuated—137th, then 265th, then back to 143rd—this volatility is likely due to small grade-level cohorts of roughly 60-70 students, where a few students can shift percentages meaningfully. Overall, Chatom Elementary demonstrates that high achievement is possible despite attendance and socioeconomic hurdles, making it a solid choice for families in the 36518 area.
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