The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 30% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Clanton Intermediate School
Clanton Intermediate School serves fourth through sixth graders in the Chilton County School District, drawing from the town of Clanton and surrounding areas. Clanton itself sits along Interstate 65 roughly midway between Birmingham and Montgomery, giving it a crossroads character. The local economy blends peach agriculture, two automotive parts manufacturers, a small hospital, and the district’s own employment base. The school is one of several campuses in the district spread across the city, not clustered downtown.
The student body of roughly several hundred children is predominantly white, with a substantial black enrollment and a Hispanic population of similar size to the black share. A very large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a level that places this among schools with high economic need. The school does not report data on the share of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learner status, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about those support services.
Academically, the picture is mixed. On the Alabama ACAP assessments for the most recent school year, English language arts proficiency was above the midpoint in each of grades four, five, and six, with roughly half or more of students meeting the bar. Math proficiency was significantly lower, with fewer than one in three students scoring proficient in fifth and sixth grade, and a slightly higher but still modest share in fourth grade. Science was assessed only in grade four, where just over four in ten students met proficiency. The gap between reading and math performance is a pattern that is common nationally, but the degree of difference here is wide. A parent moving into the area or choosing among schools may want to understand what math intervention or differentiation the school provides, especially at the fifth and sixth grade levels where the numbers are lowest.
Because Clanton Intermediate ends at sixth grade, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school course access data. The school has not reported chronic absenteeism or staffing ratios, so those dimensions of school environment are not possible to describe from the available evidence. The district brief turned up no recent policy changes, curriculum shifts, or property tax referendums with clear parent impact; the district itself appears to have been stable in terms of publicly reported changes.
The housing market in the Clanton area, as reflected across the relevant ZIP code, shows home values that are moderately below the state benchmark and well below the national median. Rents have seen a modest recent decline. This affordability profile fits with the school’s high share of students from lower-income households. The local housing stock and rental market mean that a family moving here for the school would likely find costs reasonable by state and national standards.
For the kind of family this school fits, it would suit those who value a traditional public intermediate school environment in a small-city setting with straightforward access to both Birmingham and Montgomery. The school’s relative strength in English language arts is a clear anchor, while the math numbers are a soft spot that warrants direct conversation with the school about how they are addressing it. The absence of data on special education caseload, English learner services, and chronic absenteeism means a family with specific needs should follow up with the principal or district office to get a fuller picture. This is not a school where a high-income peer group is the norm, and it is not a school with a specialized magnet or charter mission; it is a regular public intermediate school serving a high-need population in a town with a working agricultural and industrial base.
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