Summary:
Zip code 35555 is home to a single middle school, Fayette Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 with an enrollment of 318 students in the Fayette County district.
For parents considering this area, Fayette Middle School presents a mixed but generally average academic profile. The school has maintained a consistent state ranking in the 51st to 54th percentile over the past three years, placing it solidly in the middle of Alabama middle schools. The most notable strength is 8th-grade science, where 60% of students scored proficient in 2025-2026, significantly outpacing both the district (51.9%) and state (54.12%) averages. English Language Arts is also a relative bright spot, with 7th and 8th-grade proficiency rates (56.34% and 57.65%) meeting or exceeding state averages. However, mathematics is a clear area of concern, particularly in 6th and 7th grades, where only 9.76% and 11.27% of students respectively scored proficient—dramatically below state averages. Interestingly, 8th-grade math (36.47%) actually exceeds both district and state averages, creating a stark contrast within the same subject.
The school faces challenges typical of a rural district, with nearly 60% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch and a chronic absenteeism rate of 12.5%, slightly above the state average. The student-teacher ratio of 14.4 is favorable, and per-student spending is substantial at $9,890, though this investment does not clearly translate into top-tier outcomes. Test scores also show significant year-over-year volatility, making it difficult to identify reliable trends—for example, 5th-grade math proficiency nearly doubled in one year while 6th-grade math dropped by more than half. Overall, Fayette Middle School offers solid instruction in science and English, but parents should be aware that math achievement in the middle grades lags behind state norms and may require additional support at home.
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