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Bush Hills STEAM Academy

Public Grades 6-8

415^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 8% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Bush Hills STEAM Academy is a middle school in Birmingham, AL, serving 370 students in grades 6 through 8 within the Birmingham City district, where the vast majority of families (85%) qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The most encouraging news is a dramatic turnaround in attendance. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from 27.9% two years ago to just 4.1% today—a rate now lower than that of Mountain Brook Junior High School (4.3%), one of the state's top-ranked schools. This shows the school has successfully tackled a major barrier to learning. However, academic gains haven't followed yet. Math remains a critical weakness, with 8th-grade proficiency at just 1.8% (compared to 26.4% statewide). There are bright spots: 8th-grade science proficiency jumped to 21.9%, surpassing nearby Green Acres Middle School (18.8%) and Jones Valley Middle School (17.1%). Additionally, 7th-grade English (38.2% proficient) actually exceeds the district average (36.3%), and the school's Special Education students have earned its highest ratings.

Bush Hills spends significantly more per student ($19,712) than nearby schools like Homewood Middle School ($11,292), yet outcomes lag far behind. The contrast with Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School—ranked #1 in Alabama and just a short drive away—is stark: 8th-grade science proficiency is 21.9% versus 98.0%. While the attendance success proves the school can implement effective initiatives, the high spending without corresponding academic gains suggests resources may need to be redirected toward instruction and class-size reduction (currently 20.5:1, versus 12.1:1 at Mountain Brook). For parents, this is a school with demonstrated capacity for improvement, but one where math achievement requires serious attention.

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 — 12th percentile in 2016 → 8th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (18% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (8th percentile)

!Science scores 32 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school18%

District avg24%

Alabama avg44%

415^th of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 8%▼ down 5 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 8Middle Schools in the Birmingham City

118^th of 140Birmingham 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
2026	11.2	415 of 449	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	23.7	227 of 269	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	10.7	395 of 427	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	15.7	398 of 438	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
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
2026	14.5	379 of 426	11.0%	★☆☆☆☆
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
2026	24.5	227 of 269	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
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

Hispanic (2023)19th percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2026)16th percentile+8 vs school

African American (2026)16th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)11th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)9th percentile~ school

Female (2026)7th percentile~ school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English31%-26 vs state

Science22%-32 vs state

Mathematics4%-25 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 (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 (2025)	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
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%)	11.2	415^th of 449 public middle schools	7.6%		10.1	414^th of 439 public middle schools	5.7%	1			4.5	4.6	1.8		21.9			27.7	38.2	27.8	$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%)	9.3	423^rd of 449 public middle schools	5.8%		7.8	429^th of 439 public middle schools	2.3%	6			5.6	2.7	2.8		29.0			20.6	22.5	29.7	$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	4-8	2900 S Park Dr SW	Birmingham	35124	Shelby 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%)	14.9	391^st of 449 public middle schools	12.9%					(n/a)	16.0	7.6	8.0	1.8	0.0	30.0	22.2	32.0	47.2	38.0	35.7	44.4
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%)	10.5	420^th of 449 public middle schools	6.5%		11.2	407^th of 439 public middle schools	7.3%	13			3.4	7.0	4.9		15.2			25.6	25.6	36.3	$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%)	14.7	393^rd of 449 public middle schools	12.5%		18.1	370^th of 439 public middle schools	15.7%	23			11.0	5.8	5.3		18.8			37.8	36.3	34.4	$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%)	8.4	427^th of 449 public middle schools	4.9%		8	426^th of 439 public middle schools	3.0%	1			3.9	1.3	0.8		17.1			28.1	30.6	25.6	$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	(334) 220-5152	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%)	96.2	12^th of 449 public middle schools	97.3%		96.1	10^th of 439 public middle schools	97.7%	2			73.9	67.2	61.9		86.6			78.2	86.9	83.1	$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%)	12.8	405^th of 449 public middle schools	9.8%		10.7	410^th of 439 public middle schools	6.6%	5		17.0	15.6	5.9	3.0		18.2		43.4	33.9	30.6	30.3	$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%)	98.3	4^th of 449 public middle schools	99.1%		98.5	4^th of 439 public middle schools	99.1%					61.2	67.0		92.9				84.5	91.4	$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 7.6% 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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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 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.