Summary:
Arab City, Alabama, is served by a single middle school, Arab Junior High School, which enrolls 563 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the top-ranked Arab City district, rated 7th out of 139 districts statewide.
As the only middle school in the district, Arab Junior High School carries the district's entire middle-level reputation—and it delivers impressively. The school holds a consistent 5-star rating and ranks in the top 6% of Alabama middle schools (27th of 443). Academically, it far exceeds state averages in every subject and grade. For example, 7th-grade math proficiency (65.88%) is nearly triple the state average (24.46%), and 6th-grade English reaches 82.44% proficiency. The school also excels in attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 6.1%—half the state average—despite 43% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. Per-student spending is $7,922 with a favorable 16.2:1 student-teacher ratio.
However, there are notable trends to watch. The most significant concern is an 8th-grade math decline of over 10 percentage points (from 69.83% to 59.69%) year-over-year, accompanied by an 8.24-point drop in 8th-grade English. This suggests a possible cohort effect or increased difficulty in upper-grade coursework. Conversely, 8th-grade science jumped 8.8 points to 76.96%, the school's largest single-year improvement. There is also a clear pattern of declining math proficiency as students advance: 75.61% in 6th grade, 65.88% in 7th, and 59.69% in 8th. While English scores remain strong across all grades, the upper-grade math and English declines are areas for targeted intervention. Overall, Arab Junior High School is a high-performing institution with a strong school culture, but families should be aware of the 8th-grade academic dip when planning for their child's transition to high school.
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