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Helena Middle

Q: Is Helena Middle a good school?

Helena Middle ranks 49 th of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

49^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 89% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Helena Middle in Helena, AL, is a large public school serving 957 students in grades 6-8 within the Shelby County district, and it has earned a strong reputation as a top-tier performer in the region.

Helena Middle is a clear standout within its own district, significantly outperforming nearby Calera Middle in nearly every academic category. The school's greatest strength is English Language Arts, where proficiency rates (69-77% across grades) run 10-20 points above the state average. It also earns high marks for its exceptional support of special education students, ranking in the 94th percentile statewide—a remarkable achievement. Chronic absenteeism is low at just 9.9%, better than both district and state averages, suggesting students feel engaged and supported. However, there are two areas of concern. First, math proficiency declines sharply as students progress, with 8th-grade scores (34.9%) falling below the district average—a trend that warrants attention as students prepare for high school algebra. Second, while the school performs well for many subgroups, its English Language Learner (ELL) students rank in the 13th percentile statewide, indicating a critical gap in support for this population.

Compared to elite neighboring schools like Pizitz Middle (Vestavia Hills) and Robert F Bumpus Middle (Hoover), Helena Middle is strong but not in the same league—those schools post higher proficiency rates across all subjects, likely due to greater per-student funding and smaller class sizes. Still, Helena's trajectory is positive: its state ranking has jumped from 88th to 49th in just two years, with significant gains in math across all grades. For families seeking a high-value school within Shelby County, Helena Middle offers excellent academics, a supportive environment, and a clear commitment to improvement—even as it works to close the 8th-grade math and ELL achievement gaps.

957

Students ?

18.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,076

Per pupil spending ?

27.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1299 Hillsboro Parkway
Helena, AL 35080

(205) 682-5300

District: Shelby County

Students who attend Helena Middle usually attend:

High:

Helena High School

Feeder schools for Helena Middle:

Elementary:	Helena Elementary School
	Helena Intermediate School

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.7%

African American:

15.4%

Hispanic:

10.4%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Helena Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 92nd percentile in 2016 → 89th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Alabama average (61% vs 44% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of Alabama middle schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school61%

District avg56%

Alabama avg44%

49^th of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 11%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

From top 8% (2016) to top 11% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 6Middle Schools in the Shelby County

29^th of 140Shelby County 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)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	84.8	49 of 449	89.1%	★★★★☆
2025	81.8	57 of 439	87.0%	★★★★☆
2024	73.1	88 of 442	80.1%	★★★★☆
2023	72.3	90 of 437	79.4%	★★★★☆
2022	73.5	76 of 432	82.4%	★★★★☆
2021	74.1	73 of 440	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	88.8	33 of 437	92.4%	★★★★★
2018	84.4	50 of 423	88.2%	★★★★☆
2017	87.3	36 of 432	91.7%	★★★★★
2016	89.8	33 of 432	92.4%	★★★★★
2015	92.9	25 of 430	94.2%	★★★★★
2014	87.5	36 of 438	91.8%	★★★★★
2013	79.6	45 of 436	89.7%	★★★★☆
2012	85.1	30 of 436	93.1%	★★★★★
2011	80.0	52 of 435	88.0%	★★★★☆
2010	79.4	66 of 435	84.8%	★★★★☆
2009	84.0	38 of 425	91.1%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	73.1	41 of 269	84.8%	★★★★☆
2025	72.6	43 of 259	83.4%	★★★★☆
2024	68.9	52 of 269	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	74.8	44 of 263	83.3%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	41 of 271	84.9%	★★★★☆
2021	70.1	53 of 266	80.1%	★★★★☆
2019	81.2	28 of 252	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	32 of 247	87.0%	★★★★☆
2017	89.8	13 of 205	93.7%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	26.6	102 of 117	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	36.8	66 of 106	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	52.3	24 of 81	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	91.9	2 of 70	97.1%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	85.6	45 of 427	89.5%	★★★★☆
2025	82.4	50 of 415	88.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.1	93 of 426	78.2%	★★★★☆
2023	72.0	88 of 417	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	70.4	87 of 423	79.4%	★★★★☆
2021	71.2	77 of 415	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	86.1	37 of 399	90.7%	★★★★★
2018	78.1	62 of 392	84.2%	★★★★☆
2017	83.8	40 of 380	89.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	64.8	49 of 173	71.7%	★★★★☆
2024	49.5	58 of 164	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	60.9	52 of 166	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.3	59 of 157	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	60.6	48 of 154	68.8%	★★★★☆
2019	80.7	13 of 124	89.5%	★★★★★
2018	89.5	7 of 113	93.8%	★★★★★
2017	82.3	13 of 108	88.0%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	78.6	62 of 438	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	72.0	87 of 428	79.7%	★★★★☆
2024	62.6	125 of 437	71.4%	★★★★☆
2023	57.2	143 of 410	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.5	154 of 421	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	96 of 415	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	78.6	44 of 396	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.6	45 of 396	88.6%	★★★★☆
2017	76.7	45 of 349	87.1%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	80.8	59 of 426	86.2%	★★★★☆
2025	77.7	69 of 422	83.6%	★★★★☆
2024	71.5	91 of 428	78.7%	★★★★☆
2023	69.6	96 of 419	77.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.4	78 of 427	81.7%	★★★★☆
2021	74.0	75 of 418	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	88.3	32 of 399	92.0%	★★★★★
2018	87.3	31 of 397	92.2%	★★★★★
2017	86.9	30 of 380	92.1%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	50.5	20 of 37	45.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	57.7	19 of 43	55.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	25.3	25 of 32	21.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	41.4	16 of 26	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.0	17 of 26	34.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.6	22 of 29	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	42.9	12 of 19	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	38.6	10 of 18	44.4%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	68.5	39 of 146	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	38.1	44 of 78	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.1	57 of 72	20.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	55.4	24 of 61	60.7%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	82.4	16 of 269	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	76.7	31 of 271	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	76.7	34 of 281	87.9%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	39 of 281	86.1%	★★★★☆
2022	58.4	70 of 256	72.7%	★★★★☆
2021	75.2	24 of 274	91.2%	★★★★★
2019	80.5	19 of 254	92.5%	★★★★★
2018	76.7	28 of 223	87.4%	★★★★☆
2017	74.9	18 of 195	90.8%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	80.1	51 of 359	85.8%	★★★★☆
2025	75.8	67 of 377	82.2%	★★★★☆
2024	63.9	100 of 373	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	63.2	99 of 370	73.2%	★★★★☆
2022	63.9	107 of 376	71.5%	★★★★☆
2021	66.0	90 of 369	75.6%	★★★★☆
2019	84.4	37 of 343	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	75.2	61 of 331	81.6%	★★★★☆
2017	74.2	46 of 247	81.4%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2026)94th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)89th percentile~ school

Male (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school

White (2026)86th percentile-3 vs school

African American (2026)85th percentile-4 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)73rd percentile-16 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile-15 vs school

Military Connected (2026)46th percentile-43 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)13th percentile-74 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

English73%+16 vs state

Science73%+18 vs state

Mathematics45%+16 vs state

★

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Schools Near Helena Middle

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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 (2019)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	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
Helena Middle	Public	6-8	1299 Hillsboro Parkway	Helena	35080	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 682-5300	957	53	18.2	27.5%	667 (69.7%)	147 (15.4%)	100 (10.4%)	13 (1.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	27 (2.8%)	84.8	49^th of 449 public middle schools	89.1%		81.8	57^th of 439 public middle schools	87.0%	8			51.4	48.4	34.9		72.6			69.4	72.2	76.7	$8,076	$681	$7,376
Robert F Bumpus Middle School	Public	6-8	6055 Flemming Parkway	Hoover	35244	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	No	(205) 439-2200	1,192	78	15.3	22.6%	612 (51.3%)	317 (26.6%)	71 (6.0%)	123 (10.3%)	2 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	65 (5.5%)	94.3	20^th of 449 public middle schools	95.5%		95.9	12^th of 439 public middle schools	97.3%	8			60.0	53.5	47.9		81.6			81.3	85.5	85.3	$11,153	$612	$10,539
Pelham Park Middle School	Public	6-8	2016 Pelham Park Boulevard	Pelham	35124	Shelby County	Pelham City	No	No	No	No	(205) 624-3702	835	45	18.5	46.1%	359 (43.0%)	161 (19.3%)	240 (28.7%)	26 (3.1%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (5.6%)	56.5	181^st of 449 public middle schools	59.7%		59.7	153^rd of 439 public middle schools	65.1%	28			30.3	20.9	14.6		58.5			62.1	63.3	61.1
Thompson Middle School	Public	6-8	100 Warrior Drive	Alabaster	35007	Shelby County	Alabaster City	No	No	No	No	(205) 685-8100	1,444	84	17.2	52.6%	734 (50.8%)	329 (22.8%)	335 (23.2%)	15 (1.0%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (1.9%)	86.6	44^th of 449 public middle schools	90.2%		80.6	61^st of 439 public middle schools	86.1%	17			54.6	44.6	43.6		77.0			68.7	68.5	77.4	$10,052	$1,307	$8,732
STAR Program Middle	Public	6-8	2280 Highway 35	Pelham	35124	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(205) 682-5800																			(n/a)
Ira F Simmons Middle School	Public	6-8	1575 Patton Chapel Road	Hoover	35226	Jefferson County	Hoover City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 439-2100	860	62	13.8	44.3%	448 (52.1%)	226 (26.3%)	120 (14.0%)	29 (3.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.2%)	35 (4.1%)	90.1	38^th of 449 public middle schools	91.5%		90.1	38^th of 439 public middle schools	91.3%				57.2	47.4	53.6		71.8			74.6	72.9	80.4	$12,051	$881	$11,168
McAdory Middle School	Public	6-8	5450 Yellow Jacket Boulevard	Mc Calla	35111	Jefferson County	Jefferson County	No	No	No	No	(205) 379-4730	841	49	17.3	58.3%	122 (14.5%)	526 (62.5%)	171 (20.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.1%)	22.5	349^th of 449 public middle schools	22.3%		25.2	332^nd of 439 public middle schools	24.4%	17			13.8	8.0	5.5		29.8			41.0	46.2	44.3	$8,010	$1,145	$6,851
Bessemer City Middle School	Public	6-8	100 High School Drive	Bessemer	35020	Jefferson County	Bessemer City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 432-3601	616	30	20.5	84.4%	5 (0.8%)	454 (73.7%)	136 (22.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	20 (3.2%)	13	404^th of 449 public middle schools	10.0%		10.8	409^th of 439 public middle schools	6.8%	5			11.6	1.0	13.8		29.6			27.0	20.4	30.5	$8,921	$1,718	$7,187
Empower Community School Upper Campus	Public, Charter	4-8	751A Academy Drive	Bessemer	35022	Jefferson County	Empower Schools of Alabama	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(205) 413-8600	211			76.3%	1 (0.5%)	164 (77.7%)	43 (20.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	11.9	411^th of 449 public middle schools	8.5%					(n/a)	2.2	0.0	4.4	4.9	6.1	26.7	22.5	35.6	43.3	26.1	31.7	36.7
Calera Middle	Public	6-8	9178 Highway 22	Montevallo	35115	Shelby County	Shelby County	No	No	No	No	(205) 728-8737	767	46	16.8	62.5%	277 (36.1%)	330 (43.0%)	108 (14.1%)	12 (1.6%)	4 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	35 (4.6%)	46.8	235^th of 449 public middle schools	47.7%		41.1	267^th of 439 public middle schools	39.2%	32			29.0	20.8	21.7		48.4			49.0	51.3	57.5	$8,564	$701	$7,844

Frequently Asked Questions about Helena Middle

What district is Helena Middle in?

Shelby County

Is Helena Middle a good school?

Helena Middle ranks 49^th of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What high school do graduates of Helena Middle attend?

Students who attend Helena Middle usually go on to attend Helena High School

What is the racial makeup of Helena Middle?

Students at Helena Middle are 70% White, 15% African American, 10% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Helena Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 957 students attended Helena Middle.

Rate Helena Middle!

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Latest Alabama data All new data »

2025–26 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2026

2024–25 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 27, 2025

2024–25 Summative Assessment scoresAug 14, 2025

2021–22 through 2023–24 attendance data & graduation ratesDec 2, 2024

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.