The RBHudson STEAM Academy

The RBHudson STEAM Academy is a middle school in Selma, AL, serving 279 students in grades 7 and 8 within the Selma City district, where over 93% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. The school’s most impressive achievement is a dramatic reduction in chronic absenteeism, which fell from 36.7% in 2022-2023 to just 12.6% in 2024-2025—now essentially matching the state average and far better than nearby William R Martin Middle School (35.7%) and Tipton Durant Middle School (28.8%). The school also boasts a strong student-teacher ratio of 12.9:1, suggesting a more personalized learning environment than its local peers.

Academically, the picture is mixed. Science is a clear relative strength, with 29% of 8th graders proficient in 2025-2026—more than double Tipton Durant’s rate (12.73%) and close to William R Martin’s (41.98%). English scores are also improving, with 8th-grade proficiency jumping from 24.31% to 40.8% in one year. However, math performance is critically low: only 0.8% of 8th graders and 5.3% of 7th graders are proficient, a staggering gap compared to English and a major concern for a school with a STEAM focus. This suggests the “S” (science) is being addressed, but the “M” (math) is being left behind.

There are also notable equity concerns. The school serves female students significantly better than male students (14th vs. 8th percentile ranking), and special education performance has collapsed from the 25th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 3rd percentile in 2025-2026—a sharp one-year drop that warrants immediate attention. While RBHudson outperforms Tipton Durant overall and has a more supportive climate than William R Martin, it still trails William R Martin in overall state ranking (12th vs. 28th percentile). The school is clearly in transition, making real progress in attendance and English, but must now replicate that success in math and reverse the decline for its most vulnerable students.