Middle Schools in Bessemer City

Bessemer City, Alabama is home to a single middle school, Bessemer City Middle School, which serves grades 6-8 and is part of the Bessemer City school district.

For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Bessemer City Middle School faces significant academic challenges, but it is showing signs of improvement. The school serves a predominantly low-income population, with 84% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and has a student-teacher ratio of 20.5:1. Academically, proficiency rates in math and English are well below state averages across all grade levels. For example, only 1% of 7th graders are proficient in math, and English proficiency ranges from 20% to 30% depending on the grade. However, there are bright spots: 8th-grade science proficiency jumped dramatically from 7% to nearly 30% in one year, and 8th-grade English also saw a strong increase from 15% to 30%. The school has also improved its state ranking from the 4th percentile to the 10th percentile over three years, earning its first star rating in 2025-2026.

The biggest concern for parents is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 29.5%—more than double the state average of 12%. This likely contributes to the academic struggles, particularly in 7th grade, where both math and English scores dropped sharply. The volatility in scores from year to year suggests that student cohorts vary significantly, making it hard to predict outcomes. While the school remains in the bottom 10% of Alabama middle schools, the upward trajectory in science and 8th-grade English suggests that targeted interventions can work. Parents should be aware that the school is working to overcome high poverty and attendance barriers, and while progress is slow, the trend is cautiously positive.