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Southside Middle School

Q: Is Southside Middle School a good school?

Southside Middle School ranks 146 th of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 5-8

146^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 449 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 67% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Southside Middle School in Tallassee, AL, serves 424 students in grades 5 through 8 within the Tallassee City district, and it has been on a clear upward trajectory in recent years. The school’s overall state ranking has climbed from the 34th percentile in 2016-2017 to the 67th percentile in 2025-2026, and it currently holds a 3-star rating. One of the most impressive changes has been in attendance: chronic absenteeism has plummeted from 26.8% in 2021-2022 to just 4.6% in 2024-2025—far better than the state average of 12.0% and every nearby school, including Wetumpka Middle School (17.7%) and Eclectic Middle School (16.5%).

Academically, Southside shows real strengths in upper-grade math and 8th-grade science. In 2025-2026, 62.14% of 8th graders were proficient in science, well above the state average of 54.12% and competitive with top-performing Redland Middle School (62.03%). The school also consistently beats state averages in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade math. However, there is a notable gap in the lower grades: 5th-grade math proficiency sits at 37.37% compared to Redland’s 75.38%, suggesting the academic divergence begins before students arrive. The school also saw a dramatic one-year jump in 8th-grade English proficiency, from 42.31% to 67.33%, which is worth monitoring to see if it holds.

Compared to nearby schools, Southside outperforms Wetumpka Middle School and Eclectic Middle School despite having a higher poverty rate than Eclectic (58% vs. 46.79% free/reduced lunch). It does not yet match the heights of more affluent Pike Road Junior High School or Redland, but it achieves strong results relative to its socioeconomic context. One area of concern is the declining performance of Special Education students, whose ranking fell from the 60th percentile to the 32nd percentile in recent years. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 15.7:1 and effective resource use, Southside is a school worth watching for continued improvement.

424

Students ?

15.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,417

Per pupil spending ?

58%

Free/discounted lunch ?

901 E B Payne Sr Dr
Tallassee, AL 36078-1738

(334) 283-2151

District: Tallassee City

Students who attend Southside Middle School usually attend:

High:

Tallassee High School

Feeder schools for Southside Middle School:

Elementary:

Tallassee Elementary School

Racial breakdown:

White:

61.3%

African American:

26.2%

Hispanic:

7.5%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Southside Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 39th percentile in 2016 → 67th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 28 percentile points since 2016

✓Above the Alabama median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school49%

District avg49%

Alabama avg47%

146^th of 449

Alabama public middle schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 29 pts since 2016

From bottom 39% (2016) to top 33% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

53^rd of 140Tallassee City 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	61.6	146 of 449	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.5	180 of 439	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	168 of 442	62.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.5	245 of 437	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2022	50.5	199 of 432	53.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	49.2	215 of 440	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.5	220 of 437	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.1	241 of 423	43.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	36.7	286 of 432	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2016	39.8	264 of 432	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2015	48.4	207 of 430	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2014	47.8	229 of 438	47.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	45.8	298 of 436	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.7	295 of 436	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	43.1	271 of 435	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2010	47.7	247 of 435	43.2%	★★☆☆☆
2009	53.4	201 of 425	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2008	43.0	261 of 417	37.4%	★★☆☆☆
2007	50.2	213 of 412	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	53.9	179 of 409	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	62.8	125 of 415	69.9%	★★★★☆
2004	41.5	250 of 407	38.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	46.6	111 of 269	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	43.7	125 of 259	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.4	115 of 269	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	32.9	177 of 263	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	37.3	159 of 271	41.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	37.5	150 of 266	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.7	139 of 252	44.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	32.5	165 of 247	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	22.8	181 of 205	11.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	61.9	138 of 427	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.6	179 of 415	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	148 of 426	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	46.0	223 of 417	46.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	54.0	179 of 423	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2021	44.4	226 of 415	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	43.4	247 of 399	38.1%	★★☆☆☆
2018	44.3	229 of 392	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	37.8	255 of 380	32.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2024	60.9	45 of 164	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	53.0	66 of 157	58.0%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	57.2	158 of 438	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	51.6	184 of 428	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.5	178 of 437	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	38.9	250 of 410	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	44.3	225 of 421	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.7	227 of 415	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	37.7	267 of 396	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	34.7	275 of 396	30.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.0	291 of 349	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	58.2	154 of 426	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2025	53.2	176 of 422	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.3	183 of 428	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	41.1	247 of 419	41.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.2	210 of 427	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	52.3	176 of 418	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	55.8	168 of 399	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.7	216 of 397	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	35.5	251 of 380	33.9%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	34.0	183 of 269	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	42.0	139 of 271	48.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.6	112 of 281	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	30.5	212 of 281	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.7	209 of 256	18.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	36.1	182 of 274	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.0	139 of 254	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.7	148 of 223	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2017	26.8	155 of 195	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2026	58.1	121 of 359	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	54.8	134 of 377	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.8	135 of 373	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	43.9	193 of 370	47.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	48.2	170 of 376	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	45.2	182 of 369	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.8	145 of 343	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.5	198 of 331	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2017	23.9	198 of 247	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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)

Hispanic (2024)73rd percentile+11 vs school

Female (2026)68th percentile~ school

White (2026)66th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)64th percentile-4 vs school

Male (2026)64th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2026)59th percentile-9 vs school

Special Education (2026)32nd percentile-36 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2025-2026) ?

Science62%+8 vs state

English61%~ state avg

Mathematics33%~ state avg

4.5

2 ratings

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4★1

3★0

2★0

1★0

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Schools Near Southside Middle School

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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
Southside Middle School	Public	5-8	901 E B Payne Sr Dr	Tallassee	36078	Elmore County	Tallassee City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 283-2151	424	27	15.7	58.0%	260 (61.3%)	111 (26.2%)	32 (7.5%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.8%)	61.6	146^th of 449 public middle schools	67.5%		54.5	180^th of 439 public middle schools	59.0%	34		37.4	37.0	26.7	30.1		62.1		71.7	48.2	56.2	67.3	$8,417	$1,080	$7,338
Eclectic Middle School	Public	5-8	170 South Ann St	Eclectic	36024	Elmore County	Elmore County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 541-2131	468	24	19.5	46.8%	381 (81.4%)	53 (11.3%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (5.6%)	59.2	159^th of 449 public middle schools	64.6%		69.7	103^rd of 439 public middle schools	76.5%	56		21.6	25.2	22.1	25.4		59.3		70.4	56.3	63.1	67.5	$7,929	$1,454	$6,458
Redland Middle School	Public	5-8	184 Rodney Lane	Wetumpka	36093	Elmore County	Elmore County	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(334) 567-1200	579	31	18.9	36.3%	394 (68.0%)	129 (22.3%)	19 (3.3%)	5 (0.9%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.8%)	79.7	64^th of 449 public middle schools	85.7%		77.7	73^rd of 439 public middle schools	83.4%	9		75.4	56.3	31.0	38.4		62.0		86.9	73.9	69.8	67.1
Tuskegee Public Elementary	Public	4-8	101 E Price St	Tuskegee	36083	Macon County	Macon County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 727-3222	261	13	20.0	86.2%	4 (1.5%)	240 (92.0%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (5.7%)								(n/a)	19.5	31.7	10.9			26.0		41.6	50.0	35.2			$9,782	$2,252	$7,424
Pike Road Junior High School	Public	7-8	696 Georgia Washington Road	Pike Road	36064	Montgomery County	Pike Road City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 420-5340	449	27	16.8	22.9%	231 (51.4%)	140 (31.2%)	42 (9.4%)	24 (5.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.7%)	89.9	39^th of 449 public middle schools	91.3%		89.7	39^th of 439 public middle schools	91.1%					37.2	53.1		79.2				74.1	75.9
Wetumpka Middle School	Public	5-8	1000 Micanopy St	Wetumpka	36092	Elmore County	Elmore County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 604-6866	647	35	18.7	58.9%	305 (47.1%)	241 (37.2%)	56 (8.7%)	6 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (6.0%)	56.9	177^th of 449 public middle schools	60.6%		48.2	223^rd of 439 public middle schools	49.2%	46		40.4	32.2	23.1	17.8		58.5		84.3	59.0	60.7	60.4	$7,365	$1,115	$6,231

Frequently Asked Questions about Southside Middle School

What district is Southside Middle School in?

Tallassee City

How many students attend Southside Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 424 students attended Southside Middle School.

What high school do graduates of Southside Middle School attend?

Students who attend Southside Middle School usually go on to attend Tallassee High School

What is the racial makeup of Southside Middle School?

Students at Southside Middle School are 61% White, 26% African American, 8% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% Asian.

Is Southside Middle School a good school?

Southside Middle School ranks 146^th of 449 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

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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.