Summary:
Zip code 35453 in Cottondale, Alabama, is served by two middle schools—Eastwood Middle School and Davis-Emerson Middle School—both covering grades 6-8 but operating under different districts: Tuscaloosa City and Tuscaloosa County, respectively.
Eastwood is the larger school with 711 students, while Davis-Emerson has 397. Both face significant challenges, with proficiency rates well below state averages in every subject. Eastwood consistently outperforms Davis-Emerson: in 8th grade math, only 9.43% of Eastwood students are proficient versus 5.74% at Davis-Emerson, and in 8th grade English the gap is 41.71% versus 38.52%. Eastwood also has a better district ranking (22nd percentile vs. 12th), lower chronic absenteeism (13.1% vs. 15.9%), and receives about $1,000 more per student ($10,557 vs. $9,532). The most encouraging trend is Eastwood’s trajectory—it improved in six of seven tested areas year-over-year, including a jump in 8th grade science from 19.65% to 36.79% proficiency. Davis-Emerson, by contrast, declined in 7th and 8th grade math and saw its ranking fall from the 24th to 12th percentile over three years.
For parents, the key takeaway is that both schools serve high-poverty populations (71-79% free/reduced lunch) and struggle most in mathematics, where proficiency is critically low—Eastwood’s 6th grade math proficiency is 16.1% versus a 35.22% state average. English scores are comparatively stronger, and science shows relative strength at Eastwood. While neither school is performing near state averages, Eastwood appears to be on an upward path with better resources and attendance, making it the stronger choice in this area. Davis-Emerson, despite its smaller size, faces steeper challenges and would benefit most from targeted math interventions and absenteeism reduction efforts.
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