Summary:
Pelham, Alabama is home to one middle school, Pelham Park Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 and operates within the Pelham City school district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Pelham Park Middle School shows a clear split in academic performance: it is a strong school for English and science, but math is a significant concern. In the most recent school year, English proficiency exceeded state averages in every grade, with 7th graders posting a standout 63.31% proficiency rate compared to the state's 55.25%. Science also shines, with 8th graders jumping to 58.5% proficiency—a remarkable 17-point improvement from the prior year and well above the state average. However, math proficiency is troubling and declines sharply as students advance. Only 30.33% of 6th graders are proficient, dropping to 20.88% in 7th grade and just 14.62% in 8th grade—a rate nearly 12 points below the state average. This "math cliff" is the school's biggest weakness and likely the reason its state ranking has slipped from 121st to 179th over two years, despite strengths elsewhere.
On the positive side, the school has excellent attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.5% compared to the state's 12.0%, even though nearly half of students (46.11%) qualify for free or reduced lunch. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.5:1, which is reasonable for a school of 835 students. Since this is the only middle school in the district, its performance directly defines the district's 4-star rating and 70th-percentile ranking. For parents, the message is clear: Pelham Park Middle School offers solid literacy instruction and a promising science program, but families should pay close attention to math support, especially as students approach 8th grade.
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