Summary:
Kimberly, Alabama, is served by two public schools within the Jefferson County district, together educating 1,555 students in grades 6 through 12, with no elementary schools located within the city itself.
For parents, the standout school in Kimberly is clearly North Jefferson Middle School, which consistently ranks in the top 20-23% of all Alabama middle schools despite its district ranking in the bottom third statewide. The school earns a 4-star rating and significantly outperforms state averages in English Language Arts (roughly 65% proficiency versus 57% statewide) and science (64% versus 54% statewide). In contrast, Mortimer Jordan High School shows a dramatic drop-off in performance, with 11th-grade English proficiency at just 33.82% (matching the state average) and math proficiency at 22.71% (below the state's 27.21%). The high school's state ranking has also slipped from the 76th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 69th percentile in 2025-2026, while the middle school has remained remarkably stable.
Both schools serve nearly identical socioeconomic populations (about 35% free/reduced lunch eligibility), yet their outcomes differ sharply, suggesting school-level factors drive the gap. Notably, math proficiency at the middle school declines steadily from 46% in 6th grade to 31% in 8th grade, which may foreshadow the high school's struggles. Chronic absenteeism is also a concern at the high school (14.7% versus the state's 12.0%), while the middle school's rate is a healthy 9.8%. Interestingly, the high school spends about $1,000 more per student ($9,237 versus $8,218) yet achieves worse results. The middle school's success demonstrates what's possible within this district, making the high school's underperformance the most pressing issue for families to consider when planning their children's education path.
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