William R Martin Middle School

William R Martin Middle School in Valley Grande, AL, serves 180 students in grades 7-8 as part of the Dallas County school district, where 85% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school stands out as a relative bright spot within a district that ranks in the bottom 10% statewide. Students here consistently outperform the district average across most subjects—for example, 7th grade English proficiency reached 52.53% compared to the district's 38.92%, and 8th grade science hit 41.98% versus 26.71%. The school also shows notable success with African American students, who ranked in the 60th percentile statewide. However, the biggest concern is chronic absenteeism: 35.7% of students are chronically absent, a rate more than double the district average (17.2%) and nearly triple the state average (12.0%). This is a school-specific challenge that suggests many students are missing significant instructional time. Math performance is also troubling, with 8th grade proficiency dropping from 22.94% in 2023-2024 to just 6.17% in 2025-2026, while 7th grade math has stayed stuck around 10-13%—far below state averages of 24-26%.

Compared to nearby schools, William R Martin is performing substantially better than Tipton Durant Middle School, which ranks in the 2nd percentile and shows near-zero math proficiency. Even against The RBHudson STEAM Academy in Selma City—a school with a much lower student-teacher ratio (12.9 vs. 24) and far less absenteeism (12.6% vs. 35.7%)—William R Martin achieves comparable or better results in most subjects. This suggests the school is getting more out of fewer resources, spending $9,601 per student versus $13,056 at Tipton Durant. English Language Arts is a clear strength, nearly matching state averages, while math remains the critical area needing attention. With targeted efforts on attendance and math instruction, this school has real potential to improve further.