schoolsbycounty

Clay County Schools & Education

School Score

23/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Lower Signal

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

87.0%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 90.7%

Per-Pupil Spending

$5,897

National avg $13,239

State avg $6,270

School Score

23/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 40/100

State Score Position

#58

of 67 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Clay County

Measured School Summary

Clay County faces educational challenges with a school score of 23/100 and a graduation rate of 87.0%, falling below typical benchmarks.

Funding Context

At $5,897 per pupil, Clay County operates with limited funding, which may constrain staffing, materials, and extracurricular offerings.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 43% below the Alabama average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 3.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 6% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Clay County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

4 public schools and 1 district are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

23/100

Lower measured signal. Ranks #58 of 67 Alabama counties with school score data.

Completion

87.0%

3.7 pts below the state average

Funding context

$5,897

$373 below the state average

School coverage

4

1 district represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

The county-level signal is lower, so review individual schools and local records before interpreting the score. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Clay County has 4 public schools across 1 district, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

Parent decision brief

What Clay County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Small-system county

Clay County has a compact public-school footprint. A single school change, boundary rule, or district update can move the lived experience more than the county score suggests.

State position

#58

of 67 Alabama counties with school score data. The county score is 17 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 100% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Clay County

Elementary to high school visible

1,784 students

Elementary 2Middle 1High 1Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Clay County is the largest listed district slice, with 4 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Clay County?

Which attendance zones, transfer rules, and transportation policies apply inside the local district?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

If we need a program not visible in the NCES flags, which district office can confirm current offerings?

Are the largest listed schools the ones our address can actually attend, or are they only county-level context?

Education Overview

About Schools in Clay County, Alabama

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Efficient Schooling in Clay County

Clay County provides a streamlined education system with four public schools serving 1,784 students. This single-district county features two elementary schools, one middle school, and one central high school.

Unified Clay County District Focus

The Clay County school district manages all 1,784 students in the area across its four traditional campuses. There are zero charter schools in the county, ensuring that all public funding and community support are centralized.

Purely Rural Learning Environments

All four schools in Clay County are situated in rural locales, providing a quiet and traditional educational backdrop. The average school size is 446 students, with Central High School being the largest campus at 524 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

4

in Clay County

Reported Enrollment

1,784

4 schools reporting

School Districts

1

district

Charter Schools

0

0% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary2
Middle1
High1
Other0

1 School District in Clay County

Clay County

4 schools
1,784 students enrolled

4 Public Schools in Clay County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Every NCES public school remains listed here; no school-level profile pages are included in the current generated coverage for this county.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 4 of 4 matching schools

Central High School of Clay County

Clay County

Lineville, 36266 / Rural: Distant

Record9–12High524 students

Ashland Elementary School

Clay County

Ashland, 36251 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary486 students

Lineville Elementary School

Clay County

Lineville, 36266 / Rural: Distant

RecordPK–6Primary484 students

Central Jr High School of Clay County

Clay County

Lineville, 36266 / Rural: Distant

Record7–8Middle290 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$5,897

State avg $6,270

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Clay County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

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Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which Alabama counties have the highest graduation rates?
Cleburne County (97.0%), Henry County (97.0%), and Pickens County (97.0%) currently lead Alabama among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in Alabama?
Across Alabama counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $6,270. The highest current county values are Lowndes County ($8,377), Macon County ($7,057), and Jefferson County ($6,920). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Clay County?
Clay County has a school score of 23/100, which is a lower measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Clay County?
The high school graduation rate in Clay County is 87.0%, which is below the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Clay County spend per student?
Clay County spends $5,897 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Clay County, Alabama — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Clay County, Alabama?

Clay County provides a streamlined education system with four public schools serving 1,784 students. This single-district county features two elementary schools, one middle school, and one central high school.

What are the major school districts in Clay County, Alabama?

The Clay County school district manages all 1,784 students in the area across its four traditional campuses. There are zero charter schools in the county, ensuring that all public funding and community support are centralized.

What is the school experience like in Clay County?

All four schools in Clay County are situated in rural locales, providing a quiet and traditional educational backdrop. The average school size is 446 students, with Central High School being the largest campus at 524 students.

Counties with Similar School Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.