Best Public Schools in Zip Code 36545

Zip code 36545 in Jackson, Alabama, is served by four public schools within the Clarke County district, enrolling a total of 1,325 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades, with all schools serving predominantly low-income populations.

For parents, the standout school is Jackson High School, which leads the area with a 97.8% graduation rate, the lowest chronic absenteeism (5.2%), and a remarkable recent academic turnaround—jumping 20 percentile points in state ranking while more than doubling English proficiency and nearly doubling science proficiency in one year. Jackson Middle School is the attendance champion with just 3.1% chronic absenteeism, far better than the district and state averages, though its math proficiency (8-12%) is alarmingly low—about one-third of state averages. Jackson Intermediate School shows strong English skills, with 5th graders reaching 63% proficiency, but math scores decline sharply after elementary school. Joe M Gillmore Elementary School serves the youngest students (PK-2) but has the highest chronic absenteeism rate at 13.8%, more than double the middle school's rate, and receives the highest per-student funding ($10,867) despite similar demographics to other schools.

Key takeaways include a significant elementary-to-middle school math achievement cliff, where proficiency drops from 27% in 3rd grade to just 9% in 6th grade, suggesting curriculum alignment issues. English language arts is a consistent strength across all grade levels, while math intervention is clearly needed district-wide. The high school's recent improvements, combined with low absenteeism and strong graduation rates, suggest effective recent interventions worth replicating. Parents should note that while all schools face high-poverty challenges, Jackson High School and Jackson Middle School demonstrate that strong attendance and targeted academic strategies can yield positive results even in challenging circumstances.