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C J Donald Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

420^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 6% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

C J Donald Middle School in Fairfield, AL, serves 316 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Fairfield City district, which ranks in the bottom 6% of Alabama districts.

The most encouraging news for parents is the school's dramatic improvement in attendance. Chronic absenteeism has plummeted from 24.6% in 2021-2022 to just 2.6% in 2024-2025—far better than the state average of 12% and even better than nearby high-performing schools like Homewood Middle School (4.5%) and Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School (6.5%). This suggests the school has made real progress in engaging students and connecting with families. However, academic proficiency remains critically low. In 2025-2026, math proficiency ranges from just 3.37% in 6th grade to 6.98% in 7th grade, compared to state averages of 35% and 24%, respectively. English proficiency is stronger, ranging from 25.56% to 36.27%, with 8th-grade English showing a notable 50% improvement over two years—now the school's highest proficiency rate in any subject.

Parents should know that the school serves a student population with very high economic need (87% eligible for free/reduced lunch), and its performance is similar to other schools with comparable demographics, such as Wilkerson Middle School and Jones Valley Middle School. Yet the closest neighbor, Green Acres Middle School (1.46 miles away), serves a nearly identical student population but consistently outperforms C J Donald—for example, 10.98% proficiency in 6th-grade math versus 3.37%. This shows improvement is possible. The student-teacher ratio has improved from 30.1:1 to 21:1, though it remains higher than nearby schools like Hueytown Middle School (16:1). Special education students are in the bottom 1-2% statewide, indicating a critical area needing attention.

316

Students ?

21.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

87.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

715 Valley Rd
Fairfield, AL 35064-2666

(205) 783-6823

District: Fairfield City

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.3%

Hispanic:

4.4%

American Indian:

0.3%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare C J Donald Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 5th percentile in 2024 → 6th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (17% vs 44% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (6th percentile)

!Science scores 39 pts below the Alabama average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school17%

District avg17%

Alabama avg44%

420^th of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 6%▲ up 1 pts since 2024

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

131^st of 140Fairfield 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
2022	13.7	596 of 687	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.0	634 of 692	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	20.9	546 of 681	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	14.2	599 of 680	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	13.5	614 of 688	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	19.6	566 of 691	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	17.0	593 of 691	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	22.5	562 of 695	19.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	45.4	478 of 696	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2012	27.7	582 of 696	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	29.5	580 of 709	18.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	31.7	560 of 704	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.5	578 of 696	17.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	25.3	604 of 698	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	44.5	438 of 698	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2006	61.4	252 of 689	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2005	60.6	255 of 688	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2004	22.0	528 of 623	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	30.2	308 of 426	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.7	333 of 426	21.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	38.6	266 of 426	37.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	29.0	337 of 423	20.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	40.1	196 of 336	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	14.0	585 of 656	10.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	12.3	610 of 656	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	19.2	540 of 646	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	13.4	577 of 640	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	12.2	589 of 639	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	35.9	2 of 4	50.0%	★★★★☆
2018	34.6	28 of 39	28.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	18.5	554 of 651	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	16.0	585 of 653	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.0	506 of 649	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	22.2	544 of 651	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.9	491 of 567	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2022	16.4	561 of 669	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.5	594 of 669	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	26.3	494 of 650	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	18.1	545 of 650	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	16.8	551 of 639	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2021	26.9	323 of 398	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	10.5	420 of 449	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	11.2	407 of 439	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.8	418 of 442	5.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	21.7	234 of 269	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.7	209 of 259	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.3	228 of 269	15.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	10.1	399 of 427	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	13.6	373 of 415	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	11.4	393 of 426	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	33.9	14 of 18	22.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	15.0	402 of 438	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	14.8	396 of 428	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	11.1	416 of 437	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	11.7	397 of 426	6.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	10.2	399 of 422	5.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	9.5	415 of 428	3.0%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	14.4	265 of 269	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	16.2	267 of 271	1.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	274 of 281	2.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Homeless (2021)50th percentile+42 vs school

African American (2022)28th percentile+14 vs school

Special Education (2021)19th percentile+10 vs school

Male (2022)16th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2022)15th percentile~ school

Female (2022)11th percentile~ school

Middle school

Homeless (2025)22nd percentile+15 vs school

African American (2026)13th percentile+7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)8th percentile~ school

Male (2026)7th percentile~ school

Female (2026)7th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)1st percentile-5 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English29%-28 vs state

Science15%-39 vs state

Mathematics5%-24 vs state

★

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Schools Near C J Donald Middle School

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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 (2023)
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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	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
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
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	$20,826	$7,119	$13,703
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
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	$14,169	$5,164	$9,000
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	$15,982	$5,783	$10,195
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
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	$14,874	$3,790	$11,078
City Elementary	Public	7-8	901 9th Avenue North	Birmingham	35204	Jefferson County	Birmingham City	No	No	No	No	(205) 231-2288				—															(n/a)
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	$13,219	$1,193	$12,004
Hueytown Middle School	Public	6-8	701 Sunrise Blvd	Hueytown	35023	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 379-5150	755	47	16.0	72.3%	150 (19.9%)	429 (56.8%)	170 (22.5%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	20.3	361^st of 449 public middle schools	19.6%		19.4	357^th of 439 public middle schools	18.7%	4			4.3	6.0	9.4		41.1			33.6	38.4	44.3	$11,304	$2,979	$8,309

Frequently Asked Questions about C J Donald Middle School

Is C J Donald Middle School a good school?

C J Donald Middle School ranks in the bottom 6.5% of Alabama middle schools.

What district is C J Donald Middle School in?

Fairfield City

What is the racial makeup of C J Donald Middle School?

Students at C J Donald Middle School are 95% African American, 4% Hispanic.

How many students attend C J Donald Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 316 students attended C J Donald Middle School.

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2019–20 through 2022–23 school spending dataNewOct 6, 2026

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

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.