Summary:
South Dale Middle School is the sole middle school in Dale County, Alabama, serving grades 5 through 8 with 412 students in the small town of Pinckard.
This school stands out for its remarkable attendance and strong math and science gains. Despite nearly 70% of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch, the chronic absenteeism rate is just 5.2%—less than half the state average of 12.0%. In math, proficiency improved dramatically across all grades year-over-year, with 5th graders jumping from 39.2% to 50.0% proficient, and the school now exceeds state averages in math at every grade level. Science is a clear strength: 8th grade proficiency hit 62.5%, well above the state’s 54.1% and up 16.6 points from the prior year. However, English language arts is a concern in grades 6-8, where proficiency lags the state by 8 to 12 points (e.g., 44.4% vs. 56.8% in 6th grade). The 7th grade math rate of 24.6% remains the lowest across all subjects and grades, though it improved from 16.8%.
Compared to its district, South Dale Middle School consistently underperforms—for example, 5th grade English is 67.1% versus the district’s 81.0%—even though the district itself ranks in the top 18% of Alabama (4-star rating). The school’s state ranking improved from 188th to 198th percentile position, and with a student-teacher ratio of 22.2:1 and per-student spending of $8,049, it achieves above-state results in math and science despite larger class sizes. For parents, this school offers a supportive, engaged environment with strong attendance and improving academics, but targeted literacy support in upper grades and 7th grade math intervention would be wise areas to watch.
Thank you for your feedback!