Summary:
Zip code 35953 is home to just one middle school, Ashville Middle School, which serves grades 5 through 8 with an enrollment of 371 students in the St Clair County district.
For parents considering this area, Ashville Middle School presents a clear picture of a school with a distinct academic personality. The most notable strength is mathematics, where the school consistently outperforms both its district and the state across 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. For example, in 8th grade math, the proficiency rate is 38.78% compared to the state average of 26.36%—a substantial 12-point advantage. The school's overall state ranking has been stable, hovering in the 62nd-64th percentile over the past three years, which places it above its district's mid-tier ranking. However, the school's performance in English Language Arts tells a different story, with proficiency rates trailing state averages in every grade level, and the gap widening in higher grades—8th grade English sits at 48.98% versus the state's 58.53%. Science scores also lag slightly behind state averages.
One critical data point demands attention: the 5th-grade math scores dropped dramatically from 50.6% proficiency in the 2024-2025 school year to just 27.17% in 2025-2026 for the same cohort of students. This sharp decline is a red flag that parents should ask administrators about, as it could indicate changes in testing, curriculum, or instruction. On a positive note, the school has a low chronic absenteeism rate of 8.2% compared to the state's 12.0%, and it achieves above-average results despite 54.72% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. With a student-teacher ratio of 20:1 and per-student spending of $6,938, Ashville Middle School offers a stable, math-focused education, but families should be aware of the literacy gap and the concerning 5th-grade math trend.
Thank you for your feedback!