Summary:
The Auburn City school district in Alabama is home to two middle schools—East Samford School and Drake Middle School—serving roughly 1,453 students in grades 6-7, with the district ranking an impressive #14 out of 139 districts statewide (90th percentile, 5-star rating).
Both schools significantly outperform state averages in core subjects. In math, Drake Middle School leads with 59.73% proficiency among 6th graders, nearly 1.7 times the state average of 35.22%, while East Samford School posts 49.06% proficiency in 7th grade—double the state's 24.46% for that grade. English proficiency is nearly identical at both schools (74-75%), exceeding state averages by roughly 20 points. Drake shows stronger momentum, improving math scores by 2.13 points year-over-year, while East Samford's math remained flat. However, both schools experienced nearly identical declines in English proficiency (about 2.8-3.0 points), suggesting a district-wide trend rather than school-specific issues.
Operationally, Drake Middle School edges out East Samford School with lower chronic absenteeism (5.6% vs. 7.0%), a slightly lower free/reduced lunch rate (29.58% vs. 30.7%), and a more favorable student-teacher ratio (18.4:1 vs. 17.4:1). East Samford spends $791 more per student ($9,302 vs. $8,511) yet shows slightly lower comparable performance, raising questions about resource efficiency. Both schools have chronic absenteeism well below the state average of 12%, and their roughly 30% economic disadvantage rates are relatively low for Alabama. The district-level data mirrors school-level results almost exactly, confirming these two schools drive the district's strong performance. Overall, families can expect high academic achievement, strong attendance, and a supportive learning environment at either school, with Drake particularly notable for math excellence and East Samford for its broader grade span and higher per-student investment.
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