Clay County operates 4 public schools serving 1,784 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Alabama. The school portfolio breaks down into 2 other, 1 high, 1 middle schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 1,729 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Clay County County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $11,725 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, which aggregates every revenue and spending line reported under federal accounting standards. The funding mix is 15.7% local, 62.4% state, and 21.9% federal — a breakdown that matters because districts leaning heavily on local revenue are more exposed to property-tax swings, while higher federal shares typically track Title I concentration. Average teacher compensation clocks in at $57,823 per NCES F-33, a signal of the district's ability to recruit and retain staff against neighbouring districts. The district's equity score — 38/100, ranked #117 of 146 in Alabama against a state average of 51 — measures how evenly funding reaches schools within its boundaries.
Academic infrastructure includes 1 of 4 schools offering Advanced Placement (3 AP courses district-wide), a 432.3:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 24.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 69.5% White, 15.8% African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino across the district's schools.
Central High School of Clay County accounts for 30.8% of all Clay County student enrollment
That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Clay County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Clay County has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 68.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Areas above 75% eligibility receive concentration grants on top of the basic Title I formula. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Clay County student-counselor ratio is 432:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment — districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Clay County chronic absenteeism rate is 24.9% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason — illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Clay County is typically wider than the Clay County-aggregate figure suggests.
Clay County has 4 schools, including 1 high, 2 other, 1 middle. Total enrollment is 1,784 students.
How much does Clay County spend per student?
Clay County spends $11,725 per student. The district has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #117 in Alabama.
What is the average teacher salary in Clay County?
The average teacher salary in Clay County is $57,823 per year, according to the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey.
What is the average rent near Clay County?
The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Clay County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.
What is the demographic composition of Clay County?
Clay County students are 69.5% White, 15.8% African American, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 0.5% Asian, averaged across 4 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
What is the equity score for Clay County?
Clay County has an equity score of 38/100, ranking #117 out of 146 districts in Alabama. This score measures resource distribution fairness across schools in the district.