Robert Brown Middle School

Robert Brown Middle School in Eutaw, AL, serves 309 students in grades 4 through 8 within the Greene County district, where about 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school has ranked in the bottom 5% of Alabama middle schools for ten consecutive years, with academic performance that declines sharply as students advance through the grades.

In the most recent testing year, 4th graders at Robert Brown achieved 35.94% proficiency in math—close to the state average of 42.07%—but proficiency collapses to just 5.08% in 5th grade, 0% in 6th and 7th grades, and 1.75% in 8th grade. English/Language Arts scores are somewhat stronger, ranging from 11.48% to 35.94% proficiency, but still trail state averages. Chronic absenteeism has spiked dramatically, rising from 12.8% in 2023-2024 to 37.6% in 2024-2025—more than triple the state average of 12.0% and nearly identical to the district rate of 37.4%, suggesting a county-wide attendance crisis.

The contrast with Hale County Middle School, located just 19 miles away in the Hale County district, is striking. Despite spending 52% more per student ($12,323 vs. $8,124) and maintaining a lower student-teacher ratio (13.7:1 vs. 18.6:1), Robert Brown achieves far worse outcomes. Hale County Middle ranks in the 59th percentile statewide, with 6th grade math proficiency at 55.13% compared to Robert Brown's 0%, and chronic absenteeism at 14.0% versus 37.6%. This comparison shows that significantly better results are possible in similar rural Alabama communities, and that additional resources alone haven't been enough to overcome the deep challenges facing Robert Brown—including poverty concentration, attendance barriers, and a grade-level performance collapse that demands urgent attention.