Committees, Commissions and Boards
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When a new high school and middle school were built in Clay in 1996, Clay became an attractive place for families wanting the opportunity for a good education for their children. Already, Clay Elementary was a crowning jewel of the community.
Clay-Chalkville High School
Click below for recent CCHS news:
CCHS Recognized for Test Score Increase
The determined spirit of this young school became a claim to fame in 1999 when the football team took home the state championship title. After that accomplishment, the Clay-Chalkville reputation for striving for excellence spread throughout the state. Athletics is not the only area where Clay-Chalkville High School .jpg) excels.
Clay-Chalkville High School has the largest enrollment of all the high schools in the Jefferson County Board of Education system. This opens up a wonderful opportunity for more after-school activities and greater variety of class choices.
Band- The Clay-Chalkville students are also talented in the arts. CCHS offers a marching band, a symphonic band and a concert band. They consistently are given superior ratings in the annual competitions. So not only is the school known for athletic achievements, but colleges and other high schools know that Clay-Chalkville High School is the place to be to achieve musical excellence. The band takes trips, incuding performing in parades in other states such as Florida and Arizona.
Supporting the band is the Clay-Chalkville Band Booster Club.
A highlight for fans of the Cougar Band is their performance at the annual Christmas parade through the City of Clay. The smooth sound results from the quality training and the high number of members in the band. The Cougar Band often wins the local competition for marching bands because of their half-time performance. They cover the field in a sea of blue and navy as musical notes fill the stadium.
The band also has a fall, Christmas and spring concert.
Choral- The talent runs deep at CCHS with a concert coir and chamber choir. They also consistently are awarded superior ratings in district, state and national festivals. They perform in concert at least twice a year and sing Christmas songs during the city's Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.
Theater Arts- Most schools have a Christmas play. CCHS does more by having two plays each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Young actors are included in either the beginner or advanced classes. A Thespian Society is available for students to join. Some recent plays performed are Oklahoma, Camelot, and Rodger's and Hammerstein's Cinderalla under the direction of Hal McIntosh, who also performs at other local theaters. Mr. McIntosh was awarded the Dorothy Schwartz Educator of the Year Award in 1994. McIntosh was also chosen as Wal-Mart and Sam's Club Teacher of the Year recently.
Pageant- Clay-Chalkville High School is the only Alabama high school that has a pageant that is a preliminary to the Miss Alabama Pageant. This gives these young women an opportunity to gain experience for later competitions. In 2007, five former CCHS students competed in the Miss Alabama Pageant, with one winning 4th-runner-up.
Cheerleaders- The school's cheerleaders often win competitions, under Amy Gay's coaching. They took home the 2007 World Cheerleading Association National Champion title in Nashville, Tenn. for the Superlarge Varsity Division Level 5.
Academics- Recently, Clay-Chalkville High School was honored with a visit from Governor Bob Riley because the school increased their Advanced Placement scores.
Other recent academic accomplishments:
- In 2007, a CCHS history teacher was chosen as one of 12 U.S. educators nationwide to visit Romania as a member of the Study Tour on Economic Education in Romania.
- The etc. literary arts magazine, which comes out annually, won the All-Southern award by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association.
- The CCHS team won the Jefferson County Scholars Bowl against fierce competition in spring of 2009.
Clay-Chalkville Middle School
Click below to see recent CCMS news:
National Attention in Fight Against Breast Cancer
Clay-Chalkville Middle School students are from both the Clay Elementary and Chalkville Elementary school attendance zone. The grades included are sixth through eighth.
Now under construction is a competitive gym and band room. The gym will be a great facility for wrestlers from both CCMS and CCHS. When this addition is completed, expected to be in January 2010, more space will become available for an expanded choir room and a new computer room. The school also plans to get all new computers.
Pre-Advanced Placement courses are offered at CCMS to help the excel when they get into the AP classes in high school.
Band- The CCMS band has doubled the student enrollment in the last five years. With a beginner, an intermediate and an advanced band, all have an opportunity to learn how to read music and play an instrument. The band has concerts during the school year and plays for the football games.
Newspaper- Budding journalist can learn news-reporting skills early at CCMS. The school newspaper, The Paw Prints, started publication this past winte and comes out once every month and a half.
Dance Team- The the Cougar Dance Team, a recent addition to the school, is very popular. In the 2009-2010 school year, 24 girls participated.
Other opportunities- Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, Student Council, Debate Team, Scholars Bowl Team, First Priority, Science Olympiad Team and Math Team.
Other recent academic accomplishments:
- The number of CCMS students becoming Duke Tip Scholars has been increasing every year.
- CCMS has met their Annual Yearly Progress goals in each of the last four years.
- The math team rates high in county competitions, placing in the top three.
Clay Elementary School
Before 1996, when CCMS and CCHS wer built, Clay Elementary was providing local students a good start on their lifetime of learning. School enrollment is about 750 students.
Recent academic accomplishments:
- Teacher Laura Lanier won a Long's Electronics grant of at least $1,000 for technology in the spring of 2009.
- Test scores at the school consistently rank within the 90th percentile when compared to other schools in the State of Alabama.
- 100% of Clay Elementary School teachers are "Highly Qualified," meaning they have more education than the bachelor's degree required to be a teacher.
Chalkville Elementary School
A few Clay residents in the southwestern of the city live in Chalkville Elementary School's attendance zone. Although the school is outside the city, it serves the city well by providing a good education for grades K-5. Principal Rod Johnson is known for his ability to motivate students to excel using many fun activities.
The school has students anchor an inhouse television station that tells the lunch menu for the day, the weather, and the birthdays for the day.
In the 2008-2009 school year, the nurse at Chalkville Elementary was recognized for her outstanding service.
Bridgepoint Christian School- This private school includes grades 1-12 with 60 students. Bridgepoint has a 32-year history and moved to Clay around five years ago. The curriculum is the Accelerated Christian Education. The school boasts a low student to teacher ratio and staff that adjusts to the particular education needs of each student.
The homeschool program through Bridgepoint offers testing and a teacher to work with the parent in overseeing the education of the student.
Alabama Department of Youth Service Campus
Since 1937, adjudicated girls have been educated at the Department of Youth Service Chalkville Campus. The secured area, with an attractive limestone building, sits off the road. The building was a Works Progress Administration project.
Employees live in the local area, and other Clay residents assist with ministry programs for the students.
This is the only long-term-stay facility for delinquent girls in the state.
In 1918, Gen. Louis V. Clark sold the property to the state at 1/4th the amount he paid for it, his obituary says. Clark was a general of the Alabama National Guard, playing an important role in Birmingham's history.
College Opportunities
The City of Clay does not have a college inside its borders. But that is no problem for people wanting a college education while living in the city. Within a 20-minute drive is Jefferson State Community College, an institution with a fine reputation in many areas of study.
Many Clay residents attend the two-year college to get the basic courses under their belt and then attend a four-year university later.
For those wanting other degrees of higher learning, the University of Alabama at Birmingham is within a thirty-minute drive. Again, many Clay residents find it convenient to live in Clay while going to school at this university. UAB is well-known for their research in in medicine. It is a great place for an aspiring nurse or doctor. They also offer other fields of study besides medicine.
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Education