Summary:
Zip code 35057 is home to just one middle school, Good Hope Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of 378 students in the Cullman County district.
For parents considering this school, the most striking finding is the dramatic difference between subjects. English proficiency is consistently strong, with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade scores ranging from 55% to 62% proficient in 2025-2026. Science is the school's clear standout, with 64% of 8th graders proficient, beating both the district (60%) and state (54%) averages. However, math tells a very different story. Only 20% of 7th graders were proficient in math, a sharp drop from 36% in 6th grade and 31% in 8th grade. This "7th grade slump" is unique to this school and not seen in district or state trends, suggesting a specific challenge in the 7th-grade math curriculum. Overall, math proficiency hovers between 20-36%, while English stays above 55%, indicating the school is far more effective at literacy instruction than mathematics.
On the positive side, chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at 8.6%, well below the state average of 12%, which points to strong student engagement and a supportive environment. About 44% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, reflecting moderate economic diversity. The student-teacher ratio is 19.3, and per-student spending is $6,562. One note of caution: the school's state ranking has slipped from a 4-star rating (74th percentile) in 2023-2024 to a 3-star rating (67th percentile) in 2025-2026. However, this decline appears to be due to other schools improving faster, not a drop in Good Hope's own test scores, which have remained stable or improved in several areas. For parents, this school offers a strong foundation in literacy and science, but math support for 7th graders may be worth investigating.
Thank you for your feedback!