Calhoun County is home to some of the finest educational institutions in the State of Alabama. Five public school systems and a number of outstanding private and parochial schools, which provide a full range of primary and secondary education, are located in Calhoun County.  Post secondary and/or continuing education is offered at
Ayers State Technical College, and Jacksonville State University, both located in Calhoun County.  The information below provides a glimpse into the educational opportunities in our area.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Calhoun County School System is the largest of the five school systems and offers a variety of educational opportunities for students of all ages, interests and abilities.  The Calhoun County School System is comprised of seven elementary schools, two middle schools, seven  high schools and a career technical center.
 
The Anniston School System provides education opportunities for students in grades K-12 residing within the Anniston City limits.  The school system consists of seven elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.
 
The Oxford School System enjoys a strong commitment from the education system, the community, and the civic leaders of Oxford to support the learning program for children.  There are four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school offering a varied curriculum for students K-12.
 
The Jacksonville School System provides a quality education for students in grades K-12.  The system serves approximately 1700 students at its elementary and high school.
 
The Piedmont City School is a student-focused small town school system.  It has a rich history of high academic performance due to high parental involvement and strong educators.  The Piedmont System is comprised of an elementary, middle and high school.

Calhoun County Board of Education 4400 McClellan Blvd. Anniston, AL 36201 256-741-7400 www.calhoun.k12.al.us	Oxford City Board of Education 310 East 2nd Street Oxford, AL 36203 256-241-3140 www.oxford.k12.al.us
Anniston City Board of Education 4804 McClellan Blvd. Anniston, AL 36206 256-231-5000 www.annistonschools.com	Piedmont City Schools 501 West Hood Street Piedmont, AL 36272 256-447-8831 www.piedmont.k12.al.us
Jacksonville School System 123 College Street, SW Jacksonville, AL 36265 256-782-5682 www.jacksonville.k12.al.us

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

The Calhoun County area is also served by a variety of private schools.  These private schools, from religious-based to college-preparatory, provide additional educational choices for residents.

Capstone Christian Academy 1003 Industrial Park Piedmont, AL 36272 256-2777	Jacksonville Christian Academy 831 Alexandria Road Jacksonville, AL 36265 256-435-3333 www.jacksonvillechristianthunder.org
Cornerstone Christian Academy 2885 Choccolocco Road Anniston, AL 36207 256-236-1602	Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School 16 Morton Road Anniston, AL 36205 256-237-4231 www.sacredheartcardinals.org
The Donoho School 2501 Henry Road Anniston, AL 36207 235-237-5477 www.donohoschool.com	Trinity Christian Academy 1500 Airport Road Oxford, AL 36203 256-831-3333 www.trinityoxford.org
Faith Christian School 4100 Ronnaki Road Anniston, AL 36207 www.faithchristian.info	Trinity Christian School 542 Vigo Road Piedmont, AL 36272 256-447-9469
Foursquare Christian Academy 305 Embry Street Anniston, AL 36201 256-235-1959

 

Public Schools

Stanford Achievement Test (U.S. National Average = 50)

School	Grade 3	Grade 5	Grade 8
		Reading
Calhoun County	63	61	54
Anniston City	36	37	27
Jacksonville	54	69	53
Oxford City	54	60	59
Piedmont City	57	56	65
		Math
Calhoun County	68	62	52
Anniston City	41	42	22
Jacksonville	53	71	50
Oxford City	64	67	59
Piedmont City	63	47	61
		Language
Calhoun County	62	61	55
Anniston City	37	44	30
Jacksonville	54	70	58
Oxford City	45	64	55
Piedmont City	56	60	56
		Science
Calhoun County	NT	70	NT
Anniston City	NT	42	NT
Jacksonville	NT	74	NT
Oxford City	NT	64	NT
Piedmont City	NT	60	NT

Source:  Alabama Department of Education 2007-08 SAT-10 Scores  
 

Private Schools
 
Faith Christian School 

	Stanford Achievement Test
	Grade 3	Grade 5	Grade 8
Reading	89	78	82
Math	90	78	80
Language	89	75	84
Science	NT	80	74

The Donoho School
 
All students in grades kindergarten through eight are required to take the Iowa Test of Basic Skills each year.  National and Donoho scores for 2008 are compared below:

	National Grade Equivalent	Donoho Grade Equivalent	National Avg. Percentile	Donoho Avg. Percentile
Kindergarten	(0.8)	1.8	50	99
Grade 1	(1.8)	2.4	50	97
Grade 2	(2.8)	4.8	50	99
Grade 3	(3.8)	6.0	50	99
Grade 4	(4.8)	6.7	50	97
Grade 5	(5.8)	8.4	50	97
Grade 6	(6.8)	10.9	50	98
Grade 7	(7.8)	13+	50	97
Grade 8	(8.8)	13+	50	98

Gadsden State Community College

Gadsden State Community College is a comprehensive community college dedicated to meeting the changing needs of citizens in its service area.  It offers the first two years of a four-year degree, a number of technical and certificate programs, and non-credit programs that include continuing education, skills training, and adult education.  The Gadsden State Community College Ayers Campus and the Gadsden State McClellan Center serve the residents in the Calhoun County area.  (www.gadsdenstate.edu)
 
Gadsden State offers numerous Associate in Arts and Associate in Science Degree programs, including:

• Agribusiness Education       
• Art  
• Biology                                   
• Business Administration
• Chemistry
• Computer Science & Information
• Elementary Education
• Emergency medical services
• Health Services
• Legal Secretary
• Marketing Management
• Mathematics
• Office Administration
• Pre-Dentistry
• Pre-Engineering
• Pre-Law
• Pre-Medicine
• Pre-Pharmacy
• Psychology
• Speech Communications

Gadsden State Community College also has a technical division which offers a wide array of educational opportunities, including:

• Air Conditioning & Refrigeration      
• Automotive Body Repair
• Cabinetmaking
• Carpentry
• Civil Engineering Technology
• Industrial Maintenance Technology
• Machine Tool Technology
• Mechanical Design Technology
• Small Engine Repair
• Welding Technology
• Diesel Mechanics

 

Jacksonville State University

When it comes to the quality of education, Calhoun County benefits greatly from its hometown university.  Jacksonville State University.   Located 20 minutes north of Anniston, JSU is a fully accredited four-year university serving northeast Alabama on a 459-acre campus.  Jacksonville State University is the sixth largest university in Alabama, serving over 9,000 students and offering academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level.  (www.jsu.edu)
 
      Undergraduate

• Accounting
• Art
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Communications
• Computer Information Systems
• Computer Science
• Criminal Justice
• Drama
• Early Childhood Education
• Economics
• Elementary Education
• Emergency Management
• English
• Exercise Science & Wellness
• Family & Consumer Sciences
• Finance
• Foreign Languages
• Geography
• Health Education
• History
• Liberal Studies
• Management
• Marketing
• Mathematics
• Music
• Nursing
• Physical Education
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Recreation Leadership
• Secondary Education
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Special Education
• Technology & Engineering