Summary:
Zip code 36032 in Fort Deposit, Alabama, is home to just one middle school, Lowndes County Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 with a small enrollment of 104 students in the Lowndes County district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Lowndes County Middle School faces significant academic challenges, particularly in mathematics. Math proficiency is alarmingly low across all grades, with 8th-grade math proficiency at 0% compared to the state average of 26.36%. The trend is concerning—math scores decline as students progress, from 8.11% proficiency in 6th grade to zero by 8th grade. However, English Language Arts tells a more positive story: proficiency actually improves with each grade level, rising from 19.44% in 6th grade to 42.86% in 8th grade, which approaches the state average of 58.53%. Science proficiency in 8th grade (20%) is slightly above the district average but well below the state's 54.12%. The school's overall state ranking has declined from the 16th percentile in 2024-2025 to the 7th percentile in 2025-2026, dropping from a 1-star to a 0-star rating.
Several contextual factors are critical for parents to understand. The school serves a high-poverty population, with 94.23% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Chronic absenteeism is a major concern, affecting 25.6% of students—more than double the state average of 12.0%. Despite spending a substantial $14,023 per student, academic outcomes remain among the lowest in the state, suggesting that resources alone aren't overcoming the barriers these students face. The student-teacher ratio of 12.2 is favorable, but the combination of high poverty, significant absenteeism, and declining math performance creates a challenging environment. Parents should be aware that while the school shows promise in ELA growth, the severe math crisis and declining trajectory warrant careful consideration and likely require strong supplemental support at home.
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