Summary:
Zip code 35221, covering parts of Birmingham and Midfield, Alabama, is served by three public schools—Wenonah High School, Jones Valley Middle School, and Midfield High School—which together educate roughly 1,462 students in grades 6 through 12 across two districts: Birmingham City and Midfield City.
For parents, the most striking takeaway is that these schools struggle academically, but they are not failing in every area. Wenonah High School is the most improved, with math proficiency jumping from 1.32% to 3.92% and science from 6.62% to 9.15% in one year, though these remain far below the state average of 27.21% in math. Midfield High School is the smallest school and posts the highest graduation rate at 86.2%, yet it reported 0% math proficiency in 2024-2025, meaning no tested student met standards. Jones Valley Middle School stands out for its English Language Arts strength, with proficiency rates between 25.58% and 30.57%, which are roughly eight to ten times higher than its math scores (0.78% to 3.88%).
Attendance is a clear bright spot: all three schools report chronic absenteeism between 5.1% and 6.4%, dramatically better than the state average of 12.0%, showing students are showing up. However, a major disconnect exists between graduation rates (85-86%) and proficiency, suggesting students may be advancing without mastering core content. Wenonah spends the most per student at $13,629 yet achieves only 3.92% math proficiency, raising questions about resource allocation. Rankings are concerning, with Midfield High School stuck in the bottom 1-3% of Alabama high schools for three years, while Jones Valley improved slightly to the 5th percentile. Overall, Birmingham City shows more capacity for improvement than Midfield City, but both districts face deep academic challenges that parents should investigate carefully.
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