Summary:
Zip code 36545 is home to a single high school, Jackson High School, which serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 376 students in the Clarke County school district.
Jackson High School stands out for its strong graduation rate of 97.8%, which is significantly higher than both the district (91.4%) and state (91.5%) averages. The school also excels in keeping students engaged, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 5.2%—less than half the state average of 12.0%. This is particularly noteworthy given that 66.76% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a demographic often associated with higher absenteeism. Academically, the school has shown remarkable improvement between the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, with English proficiency more than doubling from 13.98% to 31.65% and Science proficiency nearly doubling from 15.15% to 28.75%. While the school still trails state averages in all subjects—most notably in math (17.50% vs. 27.21% statewide)—it outperforms its district in every subject, positioning it as a relative bright spot within Clarke County, which ranks in the bottom quarter of Alabama districts.
The school's state ranking has been volatile, moving from the 46th percentile in 2023-2024, dropping to the 29th percentile in 2024-2025, then rebounding to the 49th percentile in 2025-2026. This recent upward trajectory, combined with a favorable student-teacher ratio of 13.8:1, suggests the school is on the rise. The disconnect between below-average test scores and above-average graduation rates may indicate a strong focus on ensuring students complete their diplomas, possibly through alternative pathways or grade inflation. With limited spending data available (most recent from 2018-2019 at $10,694 per student), it's difficult to assess whether recent academic gains correlate with funding changes. Overall, Jackson High School demonstrates strong non-academic supports and is showing promising signs of translating those strengths into better academic outcomes.
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