Monroeville Middle School

Monroeville Middle School in Monroeville, AL, serves 264 students in grades 5 through 8 within the Monroe County school district, a small school where over 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school tells a story of real contrasts and recent momentum. While its overall state ranking has historically been low, the school just posted its best performance in years, jumping from the 12th percentile to the 21st percentile in the latest data. That upward trend is backed by a remarkable improvement in attendance: chronic absenteeism dropped from 24.5% to 13.5% in a single year, now sitting below the district average. The school also stands out for its work with African American students, ranking in the 51st percentile statewide for this group—a 3-star rating that far exceeds its overall 1-star rating. Smaller class sizes, with the student-teacher ratio improving from 19.3 to 13.8, may be helping drive these gains.

The biggest concern is a persistent "math cliff." While 14% of 5th graders are proficient in math, that number plummets to just 5.7% for 7th graders and 5.45% for 8th graders—a pattern that has held for years. Interestingly, 8th-grade science scores (37% proficient) are much stronger, suggesting the issue is specific to math instruction, not student effort. There are no other schools within 20 miles for comparison, so this school is the primary option for local families. Overall, Monroeville Middle School is showing clear signs of improvement in attendance, ranking, and support for its most vulnerable students, even as it works to tackle a serious challenge in upper-grade mathematics.