Schools in Zip Code 36767

Zip code 36767, serving the Orrville, Alabama area within the Dallas County school district, contains two schools: Keith MiddleHigh School (grades 6-12, 188 students) and Salem Elementary School (grades PK-5, 155 students), with a combined enrollment of 343 students in a predominantly economically disadvantaged community.

These two schools present very different pictures. Keith MiddleHigh School is in crisis academically, having suffered a catastrophic one-year decline from the 36th percentile to the 1st percentile in state rankings—dropping 137 positions to rank 378th out of 380 schools. Its math proficiency ranges from 0% to 8% across grades, and English proficiency tops out at just 24% in 8th grade. In stark contrast, Salem Elementary School shows much stronger performance, with 3rd-grade math proficiency at 50% and 3rd-grade English at 38.89%—far exceeding anything at Keith MiddleHigh. This suggests academic performance deteriorates significantly as students progress through the system. However, Salem Elementary shows extreme year-to-year volatility (3rd-grade math swung from 13.64% to 50%), likely due to small class sizes of 15-25 students where one cohort can skew results dramatically.

Perhaps the most striking finding is the attendance paradox at Keith MiddleHigh School: despite an exceptional 3.5% chronic absenteeism rate (far better than the district's 17.2% and state's 12.0%), the school posts among the lowest test scores in Alabama. Meanwhile, Salem Elementary School struggles with a 21.8% chronic absenteeism rate. Keith MiddleHigh also spends a substantial $14,621 per student yet achieves minimal results, raising questions about funding efficiency. The school maintains an 89.4% graduation rate—near the state average—but given the abysmal test scores, this likely means students are graduating without adequate academic preparation. Both schools sit within a district ranked in the bottom 8% statewide, indicating systemic challenges that require targeted, evidence-based interventions.