Summary:
Zip code 35206 in Birmingham, Alabama is home to 2 middle schools serving approximately 730 students in grades 6 through 9, with both schools serving predominantly low-income populations and facing significant academic challenges compared to state averages.
i3 Academy Phase 2, part of the i3 Academy district, is the clear higher performer of the two schools. It ranks 332nd out of 443 Alabama middle schools (25th percentile) and has shown remarkable year-over-year improvement, with 6th grade math proficiency jumping from 7.69% to 21.88% and 6th grade English rising from 36.26% to 47.92%. The school serves 400 students in grades 6-9 with a 73% free/reduced lunch rate. In contrast, Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School, part of Birmingham City schools, ranks 433rd (2nd percentile) and is declining, dropping from 386th in 2024-2025. Ossie Ware Mitchell has zero proficiency in 7th and 8th grade math and serves 330 students with an 87.88% poverty rate.
i3 Academy outperforms Ossie Ware Mitchell in every subject and grade level tested, often by dramatic margins—for example, 6th grade English proficiency is 47.92% at i3 versus just 10.78% at Ossie Ware Mitchell. Both schools struggle significantly with mathematics, with i3's math proficiency ranging from 11.36% to 21.88% compared to state averages of 24-35%. Interestingly, Ossie Ware Mitchell has much lower chronic absenteeism (6.2%) than i3 Academy (14.3%), despite being the lower-performing school. Both schools remain far below state averages in all subjects, though i3 Academy's upward trajectory and Ossie Ware Mitchell's decline suggest the achievement gap between them will continue widening. Ossie Ware Mitchell spends $11,618 per student yet achieves dramatically worse outcomes, raising questions about resource allocation effectiveness.
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