Middle Schools in Opelika City

The two middle schools serving grades 4 through 8 in Opelika City, Alabama, offer a compelling contrast in structure, performance, and student engagement, despite serving similarly high-poverty populations.

Fox Run School, a focused single-grade (6th) school, stands out as the academic leader. Its 6th-grade math proficiency (35.11%) and English proficiency (56.74%) are dramatically higher than Opelika Middle School's 7th-grade scores (22.74% math, 46.51% English) and 8th-grade scores (27.39% math, 53.77% English). Fox Run also boasts a much healthier chronic absenteeism rate of 9.9%, well below the state average of 12.0%, while Opelika Middle's rate is a concerning 16.5%. This attendance gap likely contributes significantly to the achievement disparity. Interestingly, Opelika Middle has a clear strength in 8th-grade science, with a 58.9% proficiency rate that surpasses the state average of 54.12%.

Opelika Middle School, the larger institution with 812 students, provides more trend data. It has shown a stable, if slightly fluctuating, state ranking, holding a 3-star rating and moving from the 58th to the 54th percentile over three years. Its per-student spending is $8,645, and its student-teacher ratio is a slightly better 16.3:1 compared to Fox Run's 18.8:1. Both schools serve nearly identical economically disadvantaged populations (73-74% free/reduced lunch), making the performance gap between them particularly notable. This suggests that school structure and climate—not just poverty—are key drivers of outcomes. For parents, the choice is clear: Fox Run School offers a more focused, higher-performing 6th-grade experience, while Opelika Middle School provides a broader multi-grade environment with a standout science program but struggles with attendance and lower core subject proficiency.