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Hillcrest Middle School

Public Grades 6-8

342^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 439 Alabama Middle Schools

Better than 22% of Alabama middle schools

Summary

Hillcrest Middle School is a public middle school in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, serving 545 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Tuscaloosa County School District, which is ranked 84 out of 135 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Hillcrest Middle School has consistently underperformed compared to the Tuscaloosa County and Alabama state averages in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2024-2025 school year, only 8.89% of 8th-grade students were proficient or better in Mathematics, compared to 15.68% for Tuscaloosa County and 24.53% for the state. The school also struggles with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 12.0% to 18.0% over the past few years, and a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a significant population of students from low-income families.

Hillcrest Middle School's performance is generally lower than that of nearby schools within the Tuscaloosa County district, such as Sipsey Valley Middle School and Duncanville Middle School, which have higher test scores and better statewide rankings. Addressing the challenges at Hillcrest Middle School will require a comprehensive approach that considers the school's socioeconomic context and implements targeted interventions to support the diverse needs of its student population.

542

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$8,185

Per pupil spending ?

58.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

401 Hillcrest School Rd
Tuscaloosa, AL 35405

(205) 342-2820

District: Tuscaloosa County

Feeder schools for Hillcrest Middle School:

Elementary:	Englewood Elementary School
	Taylorville Primary School

Racial breakdown:

African American:

78.2%

White:

14.8%

Hispanic:

4.4%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Hillcrest Middle School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 72nd percentile in 2015 → 22nd in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Alabama average (25% vs 42% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (22nd percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 50 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school25%

District avg34%

Alabama avg42%

342^nd of 439

Alabama public middle schools ?

Bottom 22%▼ down 50 pts since 2015

From top 28% (2015) to bottom 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Alabama Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 7Middle Schools in the Tuscaloosa County

84^th of 135Tuscaloosa 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
2025	22.6	342 of 439	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	26.4	334 of 442	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.1	307 of 437	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.6	263 of 432	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	58.0	156 of 440	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	46.7	245 of 437	43.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	41.8	258 of 423	39.0%	★★☆☆☆
2017	57.1	166 of 432	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	60.0	150 of 432	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2015	63.5	122 of 430	71.6%	★★★★☆
2014	56.7	171 of 438	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2013	55.3	222 of 436	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2012	62.5	160 of 436	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2011	63.0	165 of 435	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2010	64.1	150 of 435	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	67.8	112 of 425	73.6%	★★★★☆
2008	48.9	226 of 417	45.8%	★★☆☆☆
2007	62.1	152 of 412	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.2	146 of 409	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	47.1	228 of 415	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2004	47.4	209 of 407	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	34.2	172 of 259	33.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	38.0	150 of 269	44.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	39.3	143 of 263	45.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	46.7	110 of 271	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	63.2	67 of 266	74.8%	★★★★☆
2019	51.2	100 of 252	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.8	121 of 247	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	47.8	85 of 205	58.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	23.5	332 of 415	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	25.6	325 of 426	23.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	32.6	292 of 417	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	42.8	242 of 423	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.4	142 of 415	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	47.5	229 of 399	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	48.1	209 of 392	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2017	61.5	119 of 380	68.7%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	16.7	384 of 428	10.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.1	365 of 437	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	33.4	285 of 410	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	36.6	275 of 421	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.0	182 of 415	56.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	29.3	300 of 396	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	33.4	281 of 396	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	36.7	233 of 349	33.2%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	21.4	336 of 422	20.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	28.3	313 of 428	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.3	304 of 419	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	35.5	280 of 427	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	53.8	170 of 418	59.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	44.9	226 of 399	43.4%	★★☆☆☆
2018	35.1	276 of 397	30.5%	★★☆☆☆
2017	48.1	195 of 380	48.7%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	75.4	34 of 271	87.5%	★★★★☆
2024	68.5	42 of 281	85.1%	★★★★☆
2023	71.6	38 of 281	86.5%	★★★★☆
2022	61.0	57 of 256	77.7%	★★★★☆
2021	35.8	186 of 274	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	48.2	115 of 254	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.7	40 of 223	82.1%	★★★★☆
2017	45.9	94 of 195	51.8%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Alabama percentile	Rating
2025	53.2	144 of 377	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.4	122 of 373	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.1	93 of 370	74.9%	★★★★☆
2022	64.2	102 of 376	72.9%	★★★★☆
2021	79.1	51 of 369	86.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.9	67 of 343	80.5%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	81 of 331	75.5%	★★★★☆
2017	81.4	30 of 247	87.9%	★★★★☆

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 (2025)87th percentile+65 vs school

White (2025)62nd percentile+40 vs school

African American (2025)34th percentile+11 vs school

Male (2025)20th percentile~ school

Female (2025)20th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)10th percentile-12 vs school

By subject vs Alabama (2024-2025) ?

English40%-16 vs state

Science20%-21 vs state

Mathematics11%-16 vs state

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Schools Near Hillcrest Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2025)				Summative Assessment Science (2025)	Summative Assessment English (2025)				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	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th 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
Hillcrest Middle School	Public	6-8	401 Hillcrest School Rd	Tuscaloosa	35405	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2820	542	28	19.3	58.7%	80 (14.8%)	424 (78.2%)	24 (4.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.8%)	22.6	342^nd of 439 public middle schools	22.1%		26.4	334^th of 442 public middle schools	24.4%	8		12.4	12.2	8.9	20.1		40.5	41.8	37.6	$8,185	$843	$7,319
Duncanville Middle School	Public	6-8	11205 Eagle Parkway	Duncanville	35456	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2830	460	21	21.9	48.9%	238 (51.7%)	176 (38.3%)	34 (7.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.0%)	49.7	210^th of 439 public middle schools	52.2%		54.5	181^st of 442 public middle schools	59.0%	29		26.7	21.1	22.6	42.3		50.3	54.9	52.9	$8,738	$1,009	$7,706
Westlawn Middle School	Public	6-8	1715 Martin L King Jr Blvd	Tuscaloosa	35401	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3673	568	38	14.9	87.9%	7 (1.2%)	488 (85.9%)	61 (10.7%)	4 (0.7%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	14.7	382^nd of 439 public middle schools	13.0%		12.8	391^st of 442 public middle schools	11.5%	9		8.5	5.6	5.1	20.5		28.2	35.2	31.9	$13,988	$3,689	$10,279
Eastwood Middle School	Public	6-8	6314 Mary Harmon Bryant Drive	Cottondale	35453	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 759-3613	711	38	18.9	71.4%	36 (5.1%)	590 (83.0%)	60 (8.4%)	9 (1.3%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	12 (1.7%)	16.4	377^th of 439 public middle schools	14.1%		17.6	366^th of 442 public middle schools	17.2%	11		14.5	5.3	4.8	19.7		34.5	30.4	36.4	$10,557	$1,768	$8,769
Tuscaloosa Magnet School Middle	Public, Magnet	6-8	315 Mcfarland Blvd E	Tuscaloosa	35404	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	Yes	No	No	(205) 759-3653	173	11	16.4	30.1%	66 (38.2%)	89 (51.4%)	4 (2.3%)	12 (6.9%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.6%)	96.6	9^th of 439 public middle schools	97.9%		98.3	4^th of 442 public middle schools	99.1%	5		60.3	60.0	52.8	69.8		87.9	95.0	90.6	$12,744	$57	$12,668
CollinsRiverside Middle School	Public	5-6	1400 3rd St	Northport	35476	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2680	318	18	17.4	74.5%	75 (23.6%)	156 (49.1%)	80 (25.2%)	4 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)								(n/a)	23.9	23.1				50.0	40.0			$8,444	$849	$7,571
DavisEmerson Middle School	Public	6-8	1500 Bulldog Blvd	Cottondale	35453	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 342-2750	397	21	18.9	79.3%	87 (21.9%)	165 (41.6%)	137 (34.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.8%)	19.2	361^st of 439 public middle schools	17.8%		24.8	338^th of 442 public middle schools	23.5%	23		13.5	7.1	7.6	21.5		28.8	38.4	40.6	$9,532	$2,028	$7,480
Echols Middle School	Public	7-8	2701 Echols Ave	Northport	35476	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa County	No	No	No	No	(205) 342-2884	738	42	17.5	55.1%	350 (47.4%)	212 (28.7%)	151 (20.5%)	9 (1.2%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (1.8%)	51.5	199^th of 439 public middle schools	54.7%		46.2	230^th of 442 public middle schools	48.0%	31			20.2	18.3	39.1			58.9	52.3	$6,871	$719	$6,063
Northridge Middle School	Public	6-8	3811 Northridge Road	Tuscaloosa	35406	Tuscaloosa County	Tuscaloosa City	No	No	No	No	(205) 759-3578	775	49	15.8	39.1%	381 (49.2%)	281 (36.3%)	67 (8.6%)	28 (3.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	15 (1.9%)	72.1	95^th of 439 public middle schools	78.4%		73.3	87^th of 442 public middle schools	80.3%	8		38.5	37.9	38.4	58.0		55.7	56.9	66.8	$9,554	$693	$8,841
Hale County Middle School	Public	6-8	120 Wildcat Way	Moundville	35474	Hale County	Hale County	No	No	No	Yes	(205) 371-7000	243	13	18.6	53.5%	96 (39.5%)	134 (55.1%)	10 (4.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.8%)	48.5	221^st of 439 public middle schools	49.7%		48.4	217^th of 442 public middle schools	50.9%	4		25.0	11.4	19.0	46.8		43.8	61.4	60.8	$8,124	$992	$7,108

Frequently Asked Questions about Hillcrest Middle School

What district is Hillcrest Middle School in?

Tuscaloosa County

What is the racial makeup of Hillcrest Middle School?

Students at Hillcrest Middle School are 78% African American, 15% White, 4% Hispanic, 2% Two or more races.

How many students attend Hillcrest Middle School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 542 students attended Hillcrest Middle School.

Is Hillcrest Middle School a good school?

Hillcrest Middle School ranks in the bottom 22.1% of Alabama middle schools.

Rate Hillcrest Middle School!

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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.