Clay Elementary School

Clay Elementary School operates as a mid-sized elementary campus in Clay, Alabama, overseen by Jefferson County. Current enrollment sits at 606 students spanning grades pre-K through 5. By comparison, Alabama's public schools average about 480 students each, so Clay Elementary School sits 26% above that benchmark.

Across the 55 schools in Jefferson County (35,444 students total), Clay Elementary School accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Clay Elementary School reports that Black students make up the majority at 62%. Beyond that, the school shows 18% White, 10% Hispanic, 8% multiracial. The wider county runs roughly 42% Black, putting the school's mix visibly more Black than the area baseline.

In terms of school funding signals, Staff filings list 36 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to roughly 16.7:1 students per teacher. That tracks the state average closely. Roughly 55% of students at Clay Elementary School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy.

With demographic context factored in, Clay Elementary School tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 44.2% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 37.2%.

In the broader community, community-level numbers for Jefferson County indicate median household income runs about $66,388, about 36% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate sits near 11%. Across Jefferson County's 181 public schools (combined enrollment of about 97,401 students), Clay Elementary School is one campus in the mix.

The closest other public school is ClayChalkville High School, roughly 0.3 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Clay Elementary School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Clay Elementary School at 3rd of 9; the average score across the group is 37.7%.

The campus sits in an outer-ring setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Clay Elementary School's enrollment has increased 4% since 2018, when it stood at 585 (now 606). White enrollment moved from 47% to 18% across the same window. Class-load math has narrowed: from 17.7:1 in 2018 to 16.7:1 in 2025.

On the community side, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around classroom updates, athletics, and weather closures. The community welcomes input from current and former families.