Anniston Middle School

Anniston Middle School serves 357 students in grades 6-8 in Anniston, Alabama, as part of the Anniston City district, where the vast majority of families (81.5%) qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The school's standout strength is its work with special education students, who rank in the 91st percentile statewide—a remarkable 5-star rating that has improved steadily over three years and far outpaces the school's overall performance. There's also encouraging momentum for African American students, whose statewide ranking jumped from the 14th to 41st percentile in a single year. However, math proficiency remains critically low, with only 6.6% to 8.6% of students meeting state standards across grades—roughly one-quarter of the state average. English scores are comparatively stronger, with 6th graders reaching 44.6% proficiency, within 12 points of the state average. Chronic absenteeism affects 17.1% of students, more than double the rate at nearby Piedmont Middle School (2.0%) and Cleburne County Middle School (3.4%).

Perhaps the most striking finding is the spending paradox: Anniston spends $13,119 per student—75-97% more than neighboring schools like Oxford Middle School ($10,003) or White Plains Middle School ($8,745)—yet its 8th grade science proficiency (32.9%) is roughly half that of nearby schools, which range from 56.3% to 74.0%. The school shows significant year-to-year swings in test scores, suggesting small cohorts and inconsistent instruction. While the 2025-2026 ranking (18th percentile) is the school's best in years, the path forward likely depends on translating its special education success to the broader student body and tackling absenteeism as a foundational barrier to learning.