Summary:
Zip code 35180, encompassing the Warrior, Alabama area, is home to just one middle school, Corner Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 and has an enrollment of 437 students within the Jefferson County district.
For parents considering this school, the standout feature is its exceptional 8th-grade Science program. Proficiency rates of roughly 61% are nearly double the district average and well above the state average, indicating a clear strength that sets the school apart. The school also performs consistently well in English Language Arts, outpacing its district in every grade level and matching or exceeding state averages in most cases. However, there is a concerning pattern in Mathematics. While 5th graders perform above the state average, proficiency drops sharply by 7th and 8th grade, falling to about half the state average. This "math cliff" suggests the school struggles to maintain skill development as coursework becomes more complex, and it is a critical area for parents to monitor. Additionally, the school's overall state ranking has been volatile, improving to the 67th percentile in 2024-2025 before dropping sharply to the 49th percentile in 2025-2026, signaling a challenging recent year.
Beyond academics, the school has a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.8%, which is lower than the district's 16.9% but slightly above the state's 12.0%. About 35% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the student-teacher ratio is a relatively high 19.6 to 1, which could impact individualized attention. While the school is a strong performer relative to its district, its mixed results against the state highlight both its science and English strengths and its math challenges. Parents should weigh the exceptional science program and solid English scores against the upper-grade math decline and the high student-teacher ratio when evaluating this school.
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