Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its Alabama rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Athens Middle School

Q: Is Athens Middle School a good school?

Athens Middle School ranks 266 th of 443 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

266^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 443 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 40% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Athens Middle School serves 935 students in grades 6-8 in Athens, AL, as part of the Athens City district, where about 59% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school has seen a steady decline in its state ranking over the past decade, falling from the 79th percentile in 2015-2016 to the 40th percentile in 2025-2026. The most concerning trend is in math: only about 13% of 7th graders and 18% of 8th graders scored proficient in 2025-2026, compared to state averages of 24% and 26%. English scores also drop significantly as students advance—6th graders perform right at the state average, but by 8th grade only 40% are proficient versus 58% statewide. This "6th grade advantage" that fades by 7th and 8th grade suggests the school may be stronger in early middle school but struggles to maintain academic support in upper grades. On a positive note, chronic absenteeism is a real strength: only 8.2% of students are chronically absent, well below the 12% state average, and the school has consistently beaten state rates for years.

Compared to nearby schools, Journey Middle School, Discovery Middle School, and Liberty Middle School in the Madison City district all rank in the top 10% of Alabama middle schools with 5 stars, while Athens Middle sits at 2 stars. However, among schools with similar poverty levels, Athens is not an outlier—Austin Middle School and Decatur Middle School rank similarly. The most alarming data point is the 2025-2026 collapse in outcomes for several student groups, including special education students dropping to the 8th percentile statewide. While 8th grade science remains a relative bright spot at 47% proficiency, the overall trajectory suggests the school needs urgent intervention to reverse a decade-long decline.

935

Students ?

19.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,929

Per pupil spending ?

59.3%

Free/discounted lunch ?

100 Hwy 31 North
Athens, AL 35611

(256) 233-6620

District: Athens City

Students who attend Athens Middle School usually attend:

High:

Athens High School

Feeder schools for Athens Middle School:

Elementary:	Athens Elementary School
	Athens Intermediate School
	Brookhill Elementary School
	James L Cowart Elementary School
	More...
	Julian Newman Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

46.8%

Hispanic:

24.5%

African American:

20.9%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Athens Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 79th percentile in 2016 → 40th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (37% vs 44% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 39 percentile points since 2016

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg38%

Alabama avg44%

266^th of 443

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 40%▼ down 39 pts since 2016

From top 21% (2016) to bottom 40% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	40.5	266 of 443	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	49.5	214 of 439	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.9	232 of 442	47.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	55.9	175 of 437	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.2	148 of 432	65.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	55.7	175 of 440	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.6	130 of 437	70.3%	★★★★☆
2018	72.3	99 of 423	76.6%	★★★★☆
2017	68.9	98 of 432	77.3%	★★★★☆
2016	71.2	90 of 432	79.2%	★★★★☆
2015	68.7	83 of 430	80.7%	★★★★☆
2014	79.3	54 of 438	87.7%	★★★★☆
2013	64.8	137 of 436	68.6%	★★★☆☆
2012	69.7	109 of 436	75.0%	★★★★☆
2011	69.1	122 of 435	72.0%	★★★★☆
2010	79.0	67 of 435	84.6%	★★★★☆
2009	80.5	47 of 425	88.9%	★★★★☆
2008	83.5	34 of 417	91.8%	★★★★★
2007	81.5	46 of 412	88.8%	★★★★☆
2006	83.8	39 of 409	90.5%	★★★★★
2005	81.2	50 of 415	88.0%	★★★★☆
2004	84.7	32 of 407	92.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	27.6	205 of 266	22.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	48.9	102 of 259	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.9	162 of 269	39.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.1	98 of 263	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.4	131 of 271	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.0	95 of 266	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	54.1	92 of 252	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	48.0	108 of 247	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2017	58.0	57 of 205	72.2%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	27.9	88 of 103	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	33.9	77 of 117	34.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	42.5	46 of 106	56.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.5	41 of 94	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	34.1	57 of 81	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	33.7	57 of 70	18.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	30.2	23 of 31	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	35.7	278 of 422	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.1	216 of 415	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	43.6	235 of 426	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.8	213 of 417	48.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.0	205 of 423	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.6	191 of 415	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.2	126 of 399	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	68.2	105 of 392	73.2%	★★★★☆
2017	63.1	114 of 380	70.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	37.3	54 of 82	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	39.8	94 of 173	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.5	113 of 164	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	31.3	108 of 166	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.9	91 of 157	42.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	28.4	112 of 154	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.6	96 of 124	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	40.5	64 of 113	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2017	38.8	63 of 108	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	40.5	12 of 18	33.3%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	317 of 432	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.2	281 of 428	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	308 of 437	29.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	36.5	271 of 410	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.9	249 of 421	40.9%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.2	282 of 415	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	41.9	250 of 396	36.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	50.4	198 of 396	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	45.9	188 of 349	46.1%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	44.6	238 of 421	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	50.7	192 of 422	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.0	213 of 428	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.6	125 of 419	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	63.8	115 of 427	73.1%	★★★★☆
2021	56.8	152 of 418	63.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.8	117 of 399	70.7%	★★★★☆
2018	74.8	71 of 397	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	70.8	82 of 380	78.4%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	27.0	24 of 29	17.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	38.1	84 of 145	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	35.8	58 of 92	37.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	29.9	54 of 78	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.7	43 of 72	40.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	34.8	41 of 60	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	34.4	45 of 61	26.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	43.4	27 of 46	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	47.6	15 of 30	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	36.6	17 of 21	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	34.1	43 of 66	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.1	55 of 69	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	30.7	40 of 61	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.6	49 of 65	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	24.6	44 of 56	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	24.4	36 of 44	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	19.2	246 of 266	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	38.0	161 of 271	40.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	27.9	232 of 281	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	43.0	127 of 281	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	31.4	191 of 256	25.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	47.7	115 of 274	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	51.8	99 of 254	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.4	41 of 223	81.6%	★★★★☆
2017	70.1	26 of 195	86.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	164 of 355	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.1	154 of 377	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.7	178 of 373	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.4	129 of 370	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.9	109 of 376	71.0%	★★★★☆
2021	57.8	119 of 369	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.3	89 of 343	74.1%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	48 of 331	85.5%	★★★★☆
2017	70.3	51 of 247	79.4%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)54th percentile+14 vs school

Male (2026)43rd percentile+4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)42nd percentile~ school

Native American (2025)35th percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2026)34th percentile-6 vs school

Female (2026)34th percentile-6 vs school

Homeless (2025)33rd percentile-18 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)27th percentile-13 vs school

African American (2026)23rd percentile-17 vs school

Military Connected (2021)17th percentile-43 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)15th percentile-25 vs school

Special Education (2026)8th percentile-32 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English48%-9 vs state

Science47%-7 vs state

Mathematics22%-6 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Athens Middle School and help other families decide.

Rate Athens Middle School

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Athens Middle School

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2026)					Summative Assessment Science (2026)		Summative Assessment English (2026)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Athens Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Hwy 31 North	Athens	35611	Limestone County	Athens City	No	No	No	No	(256) 233-6620	935	48	19.4	59.3%	438 (46.8%)	195 (20.9%)	229 (24.5%)	12 (1.3%)	5 (0.5%)	4 (0.4%)	52 (5.6%)	40.5	266^th of 443 public middle schools	40.0%		49.5	214^th of 439 public middle schools	51.3%	52			36.9	12.6	17.8		47.2			57.1	46.8	40.0	$8,929	$999	$7,930
Liberty Middle School	Public	6-8	281 Dock Murphy Dr	Madison	35758	Madison County	Madison City	No	No	No	No	(256) 430-0001	1,103	69	15.9	22.6%	591 (53.6%)	208 (18.9%)	100 (9.1%)	122 (11.1%)	5 (0.5%)	3 (0.3%)	74 (6.7%)	92.7	26^th of 443 public middle schools	94.1%		91.2	31^st of 439 public middle schools	92.9%	5			66.8	49.6	46.6		71.9			81.3	81.3	82.3	$8,077	$669	$7,379
Discovery Middle School	Public	6-8	1304 Hughes Rd	Madison	35758	Madison County	Madison City	No	No	No	No	(256) 837-3735	1,054	68	15.6	26.4%	619 (58.7%)	175 (16.6%)	96 (9.1%)	71 (6.7%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	89 (8.4%)	91.6	32^nd of 443 public middle schools	92.8%		90.5	35^th of 439 public middle schools	92.0%	3			60.2	53.1	58.8		67.6			76.5	78.6	81.5	$8,621	$642	$7,950
Monrovia Middle School	Public	6-8	1216 Jeff Rd	Huntsville	35806	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4580	988	47	21.0	31.8%	473 (47.9%)	302 (30.6%)	93 (9.4%)	20 (2.0%)	30 (3.0%)	6 (0.6%)	64 (6.5%)	70.7	102^nd of 443 public middle schools	77.0%		75.8	81^st of 439 public middle schools	81.5%	21			39.0	23.0	30.9		63.6			68.5	64.4	71.9	$8,013	$687	$7,287
Sparkman Middle School	Public	6-8	2697 Carters Gin Rd	Toney	35773	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 851-4610	723	40	18.0	59.3%	257 (35.5%)	283 (39.1%)	92 (12.7%)	6 (0.8%)	27 (3.7%)	2 (0.3%)	56 (7.7%)	34.5	294^th of 443 public middle schools	33.6%		44.7	246^th of 439 public middle schools	44.0%	48			20.1	13.6	7.8		47.0			40.7	53.0	53.0	$8,275	$1,782	$6,454
Journey Middle School	Public	6-8	217 Celtic Drive	Madison	35758	Madison County	Madison City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(256) 464-8370	903	48	19.0	26.7%	424 (47.0%)	206 (22.8%)	90 (10.0%)	91 (10.1%)	4 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	87 (9.6%)	90.3	36^th of 443 public middle schools	91.9%		86.8	46^th of 439 public middle schools	89.5%	10			62.7	46.2	43.3		68.4			82.6	75.8	80.6
Decatur Middle School	Public	6-8	1011 Prospect Drive SE	Decatur	35601	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-3035	818	51	16.0	63.6%	263 (32.2%)	195 (23.8%)	308 (37.7%)	5 (0.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (5.4%)	40.5	267^th of 443 public middle schools	39.7%		40.9	268^th of 439 public middle schools	39.0%	1			27.6	18.9	19.2		51.3			41.3	49.6	49.1	$11,092	$1,135	$9,958
West Morgan Middle School	Public	4-8	261 South Greenway Drive	Trinity	35673	Morgan County	Morgan County	No	No	No	No	(256) 353-5214	561	29	19.6	75.0%	287 (51.2%)	36 (6.4%)	225 (40.1%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	58.8	160^th of 443 public middle schools	63.9%		46.8	230^th of 439 public middle schools	47.6%	70	20.3	48.7	31.9	21.0	31.0	26.3	56.6	41.5	66.1	64.9	58.0	54.9	$5,994	$143	$5,835
Austin Middle School	Public	6-7	2715 Danville Rd SW	Decatur	35603	Morgan County	Decatur City	No	No	No	No	(256) 552-4622	727	49	14.7	64.8%	156 (21.5%)	201 (27.6%)	283 (38.9%)	16 (2.2%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.6%)	66 (9.1%)	41.6	262^nd of 443 public middle schools	40.9%		45.6	240^th of 439 public middle schools	45.3%	22			34.9	14.9						45.9	49.3		$10,392	$1,438	$8,954
Williams Middle School	Public	6-8	155 Barren Fork Blvd SW	Huntsville	35824	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7330	659	30	21.9	49.9%	106 (16.1%)	397 (60.2%)	84 (12.7%)	4 (0.6%)	2 (0.3%)	9 (1.4%)	57 (8.6%)	35.6	288^th of 443 public middle schools	35.0%		36.9	289^th of 439 public middle schools	34.2%	1			21.7	9.1	14.4		43.6			54.7	45.2	52.3	$7,969	$169	$7,799

Frequently Asked Questions about Athens Middle School

How many students attend Athens Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 935 students attended Athens Middle School.

Is Athens Middle School a good school?

Athens Middle School ranks 266^th of 443 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What district is Athens Middle School in?

Athens City

What is the racial makeup of Athens Middle School?

Students at Athens Middle School are 47% White, 24% Hispanic, 21% African American, 6% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

What high school do graduates of Athens Middle School attend?

Students who attend Athens Middle School usually go on to attend Athens High School

Rate Athens Middle School!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

ALAlabama Middle School Rankings

ALAlabama District Rankings

Schools in Athens, AL

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Athens Middle School!

Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresNewAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.