W F Burns Middle School

W F Burns Middle School in Valley, AL, serves 545 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Chambers County district, which ranks in the bottom quarter of Alabama districts. The school itself holds a 1-star rating and has ranked in the bottom third of Alabama middle schools for the past five years, with a student body where roughly 57-62% qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Despite its overall low ranking, W F Burns has several notable strengths. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at just 7.1%—far better than the state average of 12.0% and dramatically lower than nearby schools like Opelika Middle School (16.5%) and Smiths Station Junior High School (9.9%). Science proficiency is another standout: 8th-grade science scores hit 55.88%, above both the district (50%) and state (54.12%) averages. The school also shows relative strength in serving its African American students, ranking in the 46th percentile for that subgroup—well above its overall 28th percentile ranking.

However, math proficiency is a serious concern. There is a consistent, dramatic drop from 6th to 7th grade—in the most recent year, 6th-grade math proficiency was 22.44%, but it plummeted to just 8.52% in 7th grade and 11.18% in 8th grade. This "7th grade slump" has occurred every year in the data, suggesting a systemic issue with curriculum alignment or instruction. While W F Burns outperforms its closest rival, Lanett Junior High School (ranked in the bottom 5% statewide), it lags behind schools in neighboring Lee County and Opelika City districts. Notably, the school spends less per student ($8,033) than the higher-performing Smiths Station ($8,582) and far less than its in-district counterpart John P Powell Middle School ($13,362), suggesting it achieves modest results with fewer resources—but also raising questions about whether additional funding could address its math challenges.