Middle Schools in Marshall County

Marshall County is home to two middle schools—Douglas Middle School and Kate Duncan Smith DAR Middle—serving a combined 888 students in grades 6-8 (with KDS DAR also including 5th grade) across a mix of rural and small-town communities in northern Alabama.

When comparing the two schools, Kate Duncan Smith DAR Middle is the clear academic leader. It outperforms Douglas Middle School in nearly every subject and grade level, with a state ranking percentile of 64th compared to Douglas’s 35th. KDS DAR also holds a 3-star rating while Douglas maintains 2 stars. The gap is especially wide in English—KDS DAR’s 8th-grade proficiency rate of 74.71% exceeds the state average by more than 16 points, while Douglas sits at 54.65%. In math, KDS DAR posts stronger results in 6th and 8th grades, though both schools struggle in 7th-grade math, with KDS DAR dropping from 36.73% proficiency in 6th grade to just 13.95% in 7th. Douglas, however, shines in 8th-grade science, where its 56.98% proficiency rate beats the state average and nearly matches KDS DAR’s 57.95%.

Notably, Douglas Middle School spends 34% more per student ($9,674 vs. $7,218) yet achieves lower scores—a paradox likely tied to its higher poverty rate, with 67.19% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch versus 35.11% at KDS DAR. Both schools excel at attendance, with chronic absenteeism rates of 2.9% and 1.9%, far better than the state’s 12.0%. Douglas is also on an upward trajectory, improving its state ranking from 289th to 244th over three years, while KDS DAR remains stable in the top third. For parents, KDS DAR offers stronger academics overall, but Douglas shows promising gains and exceptional science instruction.