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Bush Hills STEAM Academy

Public Grades 6-8

414^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 439 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Bush Hills STEAM Academy is a middle school in Birmingham, AL, serving 370 students in grades 6-8 as part of the Birmingham City School District, where 85.4% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most remarkable story at Bush Hills is its dramatic turnaround in attendance. In just two years, chronic absenteeism dropped from 27.9% to 4.1%—an 85% reduction that now beats both the state average (12.0%) and the district average (13.1%). This is a huge win for the school community. However, this success hasn't yet translated into higher test scores. Math and English proficiency rates remain critically low and largely flat; for example, 8th-grade Math proficiency sits at just 1.67%. The school spends a notably high $19,712 per student—more than nearly any nearby school, including Rutledge School ($13,639) and Wilkerson Middle School ($10,839)—yet academic outcomes are among the lowest in the region. One bright spot is the school's work with Special Education students, who now rank in the 33rd percentile statewide, a massive improvement from the 3rd percentile two years ago.

Despite its "STEAM" focus, 8th-grade Science proficiency is only 9.24%, far below the state average of 41.51% and a fraction of the performance at specialized programs like Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (94.62%). The data also highlights stark educational inequality within a small geographic area. Just over 4 miles away, Homewood Middle School achieves 74.34% Math proficiency, while Mountain Brook Junior High School reaches 76.38%—compared to Bush Hills' 5% in 6th-grade Math. This suggests that while the school has solved the challenge of getting students to class, it now faces the critical next step of ensuring that time in the classroom leads to meaningful academic growth.

370

Students ?

20.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,712

Per pupil spending ?

85.4%

Free/discounted lunch ?

900 16th Street West
Birmingham, AL 35208

(205) 231-6370

District: Birmingham City

Students who attend Bush Hills STEAM Academy usually attend:

High:

JacksonOlin High School

Feeder schools for Bush Hills STEAM Academy:

Elementary:	Minor Elementary School
	Wylam Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

88.4%

Hispanic:

10.5%

Two or more races:

1.1%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Bush Hills STEAM Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 10th percentile in 2015 → 6th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (27% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Science scores 32 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school27%

District avg21%

Alabama avg42%

414^th of 439

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From bottom 10% (2015) to bottom 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 8Middle Schools in the Birmingham City

113^th of 135Birmingham City among Alabama districts

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2019	4.3	676 of 681	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	3.4	677 of 680	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	6.9	672 of 688	2.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	12.3	625 of 691	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2015	7.9	672 of 691	2.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	24.2	555 of 695	20.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	10.1	414 of 439	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.5	429 of 442	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	11.0	405 of 437	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.0	418 of 432	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.7	418 of 440	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.8	430 of 437	1.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.9	402 of 423	5.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.1	377 of 432	12.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	12.5	378 of 432	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	11.7	389 of 430	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	12.7	390 of 438	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	21.1	232 of 259	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	254 of 269	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	24.4	221 of 263	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	250 of 271	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	22.2	232 of 266	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	14.0	243 of 252	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.6	226 of 247	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	8.5	401 of 415	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	8.4	417 of 426	2.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	376 of 417	9.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	416 of 423	1.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.2	377 of 415	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	8.7	374 of 399	6.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	11.1	349 of 392	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	20.6	313 of 380	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2023	23.7	134 of 166	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	13.9	404 of 428	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.6	421 of 437	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	364 of 410	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.9	404 of 421	4.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	12.6	403 of 415	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	6.8	386 of 396	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	6.9	385 of 396	2.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	11.9	321 of 349	8.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	13.7	376 of 422	10.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	10.0	408 of 428	4.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	395 of 419	5.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	10.9	399 of 427	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.3	408 of 418	2.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.1	396 of 399	0.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.8	391 of 397	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	7.8	366 of 380	3.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	33.7	181 of 271	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	21.8	260 of 281	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	18.2	272 of 281	3.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	247 of 256	3.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	27.5	222 of 274	19.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.1	239 of 254	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	18.5	210 of 223	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Middle school

Special Education (2025)33rd percentile+28 vs school

Hispanic (2023)19th percentile+12 vs school

Male (2025)11th percentile+5 vs school

African American (2025)10th percentile+5 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile~ school

Female (2025)3rd percentile~ school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics30%+3 vs state

English29%-27 vs state

Science9%-32 vs state

★

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Schools Near Bush Hills STEAM Academy

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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 (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)				Summative Assessment Science (2025)	Summative Assessment English (2025)				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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th 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
Bush Hills STEAM Academy	Public	6-8	900 16th Street West	Birmingham	35208	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-6370	370	18	20.5	85.4%	0 (0.0%)	327 (88.4%)	39 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.1%)	10.1	414^th of 439 public middle schools	5.7%		8.5	429^th of 442 public middle schools	2.9%	15		5.0	0.8	1.7	9.2		29.1	25.4	33.6	$19,712	$1,930	$17,781
Wilkerson Middle School	Public	6-8	116 11th Ct W	Birmingham	35204	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-2740	424	12	35.3	88.0%	3 (0.7%)	337 (79.5%)	75 (17.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.9%)	7.8	429^th of 439 public middle schools	2.3%		11.7	401^st of 442 public middle schools	9.3%	28		3.7	1.4	0.0	15.2		16.4	24.8	19.6	$10,839	$1,819	$9,017
City Elementary	Public	7-8	901 9th Avenue North	Birmingham	35204	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	No	(205) 231-2288																			(n/a)
Legacy Prep Intermediate	Public, Charter	4-7	2900 S Park Dr SW	Birmingham	35211	Jefferson County	Legacy Prep	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(205) 573-0777	219	11	19.9	84.5%	0 (0.0%)	210 (95.9%)	6 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)								(n/a)
C J Donald Middle School	Public	6-8	715 Valley Rd	Fairfield	35064	Jefferson County	Fairfield City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 783-6823	316	15	21.0	87.0%	0 (0.0%)	301 (95.3%)	14 (4.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11.2	407^th of 439 public middle schools	7.3%		9.8	418^th of 442 public middle schools	5.4%	11		15.2	3.1	9.2	8.3		22.2	26.8	16.5	$11,750	$2,352	$9,279
Green Acres Middle School	Public	6-8	1220 67th Street West	Birmingham	35228	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-1370	309	14	22.0	84.5%	4 (1.3%)	266 (86.1%)	36 (11.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	18.1	370^th of 439 public middle schools	15.7%		13.9	383^rd of 442 public middle schools	13.3%	13		10.0	13.2	1.0	7.7		40.8	43.5	30.2	$14,583	$5,618	$8,963
Jones Valley Middle School	Public	6-8	2000 31st Street SW	Birmingham	35221	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 231-1040	465	22	21.6	85.8%	2 (0.4%)	386 (83.0%)	68 (14.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	8	426^th of 439 public middle schools	3.0%		7.9	432^nd of 442 public middle schools	2.3%	6		5.2	2.3	1.4	2.1		27.2	24.8	22.5	$11,995	$2,095	$9,898
Homewood Middle School	Public	6-8	395 Mecca Avenue	Homewood	35209	Jefferson County	Homewood City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 870-0878	1,000	69	14.4	28.3%	670 (67.0%)	166 (16.6%)	108 (10.8%)	14 (1.4%)	3 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (3.9%)	96.1	10^th of 439 public middle schools	97.7%		96.5	13^th of 442 public middle schools	97.1%	3		74.3	57.3	57.9	73.4		88.0	78.7	79.3	$11,292	$1,285	$9,985
Rutledge School	Public	5-8	1221 8th St	Midfield	35228	Jefferson County	Midfield City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 780-8647	288	15	19.8	90.3%	8 (2.8%)	248 (86.1%)	29 (10.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	10.7	410^th of 439 public middle schools	6.6%		11.3	405^th of 442 public middle schools	8.4%	5	16.4	5.9	1.3	0.0	16.2	42.6	19.1	39.2	22.4	$13,639	$5,032	$8,603
Mountain Brook Junior High School	Public	7-9	205 Overbrook Dr	Mountain Brook	35213	Jefferson County	Mountain Brook City	No	No	No	No	(205) 871-3516	1,005	83	12.1	3.3%	945 (94.0%)	2 (0.2%)	15 (1.5%)	11 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (3.2%)	98.5	4^th of 439 public middle schools	99.1%		98.4	3^rd of 442 public middle schools	99.3%	1			76.4	72.8	84.8			91.8	82.6	$12,244	$113	$12,131

Frequently Asked Questions about Bush Hills STEAM Academy

What district is Bush Hills STEAM Academy in?

Birmingham City

How many students attend Bush Hills STEAM Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 370 students attended Bush Hills STEAM Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Bush Hills STEAM Academy?

Students at Bush Hills STEAM Academy are 88% African American, 11% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Is Bush Hills STEAM Academy a good school?

Bush Hills STEAM Academy ranks in the bottom 5.7% of Alabama middle schools.

What high school do graduates of Bush Hills STEAM Academy attend?

Students who attend Bush Hills STEAM Academy usually go on to attend JacksonOlin High School

Rate Bush Hills STEAM Academy!

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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.