Hueytown Middle School

Hueytown Middle School serves approximately 755 students in grades 6-8 in the Jefferson County school district, located in Hueytown, Alabama, and has consistently ranked in the bottom quintile of Alabama middle schools over the past decade.

The most significant concern for parents is mathematics proficiency, which is critically low and declining. In the most recent school year, only 4.29% of 6th graders, 6.03% of 7th graders, and 9.41% of 8th graders were proficient in math—roughly one-quarter to one-third of the state average. This represents a sharp drop from just two years prior, when 6th grade math proficiency was 11.29%. By comparison, McAdory Middle School, located just 7.5 miles away with a similar student population, achieves more than triple the 6th grade math proficiency rate (13.81%). Even Bessemer City Middle School, which serves a higher percentage of low-income students, outperforms Hueytown in both 6th and 8th grade math. On a more positive note, 8th grade science proficiency (41.09%) is nearly at the district average, and English scores are improving—8th grade English proficiency rose from 32.77% to 44.28% over two years. The school also shows notable success with English Language Learner and Special Education students, who perform at or above the state median.

Chronic absenteeism remains a challenge at 18.3%, well above the state average of 12.0%, though it has improved slightly. The school also operates with the lowest per-student spending among nearby schools ($7,214), despite maintaining a favorable 16:1 student-teacher ratio. The percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch jumped from 62% to 72% in one year, indicating the school is serving an increasingly economically disadvantaged population. While the school faces significant hurdles, particularly in math, the improving English scores and strong science performance suggest that targeted interventions in mathematics and attendance could help turn the tide.