Best Middle Schools in Jemison, AL

Jemison, Alabama is served by two middle schools within the Chilton County school district, which together educate roughly 796 students in grades 4 through 8, with both schools serving predominantly economically disadvantaged populations (67-72% free/reduced lunch).

For parents comparing the two schools, Jemison Intermediate School (grades 4-6) is the larger campus with 468 students, but it carries a much higher student-teacher ratio of 23.4:1 compared to Jemison Middle School's more favorable 16.4:1. The middle school also receives about $851 more per student in funding ($7,919 vs. $7,068). Academically, the intermediate school shows a notable strength in English Language Arts, particularly in 5th grade where 62.26% of students scored proficient—nearly matching the state average of 69.53% despite high poverty levels. However, math proficiency is a consistent weakness across all grades at both schools, with 7th grade math at Jemison Middle School being especially critical at just 7.93% proficiency, roughly one-third of the state average. The middle school's 8th grade scores showed dramatic improvement from the prior year, with math nearly doubling (11.73% to 20.14%) and science jumping 13.6 percentage points, suggesting effective interventions may be taking hold.

Both schools maintain chronic absenteeism rates (8.1% and 9.4%) well below the state average of 12.0%, which is a positive sign for learning consistency. The achievement gap compared to state averages is most pronounced in mathematics (typically 15-25 points below) and least pronounced in ELA (3-15 points below), indicating literacy instruction is a relative strength worth replicating. Jemison Middle School's state ranking has been volatile, slipping from the 31st to 22nd percentile before recovering slightly to the 25th percentile. The most urgent priority for the district should be addressing 7th grade math, while investigating what's working in the intermediate school's 5th grade ELA program and the middle school's 8th grade improvement strategies to apply those successes more broadly.