The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in English language arts. The lowest is 32% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Chatom Elementary School
Chatom Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade in the small, rural county seat of Chatom, Alabama. As part of the Washington County School District, it is a regular public school and the only elementary option in the town for its grade band. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an early-grades campus, and its student body is predominantly white, with a significant Black minority and a smaller share of American Indian students. More than half of the students come from households that qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a figure that places the school in a comparatively high-poverty context for a rural Alabama school.
Academically, the picture is mixed and draws from a single year of state testing data, which means no trend is yet visible. In English language arts, the school’s results are strong: students in both third and fourth grade met proficiency at rates well above what is typical in Alabama schools. Science performance, tested only in fourth grade, sits around the midpoint, with about half of students reaching proficiency. Mathematics, by contrast, is a clear area of weakness. Third-grade proficiency in math is low, and while fourth-grade math is stronger, it remains below the state average. A parent considering this school would want to ask about the math curriculum and any support the school provides for students who are not yet on grade level in that subject.
Because Chatom Elementary serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate or postsecondary outcome data, and state testing does not begin until third grade, so Pre-K through second grade have no assessment results to report. The school’s civil rights and discipline data, as well as staffing and attendance figures, were not available in this profile, so a complete picture of school climate and student support remains incomplete. The school has no charter or magnet designation, and its Title I status was not listed.
The town of Chatom itself is a low-density, auto-dependent community centered on two state highways. Its population has declined over the past decade, and no major new housing development is reported. The local economy is anchored by county government, the school district, and a small hospital and nursing home. Recreational amenities include a lake, a walking trail, a disc golf course, and an 18-hole golf course, but commercial and pedestrian infrastructure is minimal. Civic life revolves around the courthouse and community center.
For families weighing Chatom Elementary, the strongest academic draw is literacy instruction in the tested grades. The math results, however, suggest a soft spot that merits a direct conversation with the school about intervention strategies. The school’s demographic composition and economic profile are typical of a rural Deep South county seat, and the setting offers a quiet, small-town environment with limited but accessible civic amenities. The district reports no recent, parent-relevant changes, so stability rather than disruption appears to be the norm. For a family already living in or moving to Chatom, this is the public elementary option, and its academic strengths and weaknesses are concentrated in the early grades served.
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