Summary:
The 36116 zip code in Montgomery, AL is served by two public middle schools—Brewbaker Middle School and McKee Middle School—which together educate 1,326 students in grades 6-8 within the Montgomery County district, a system ranked in the bottom 20% of Alabama districts.
For parents comparing the two schools, McKee Middle School is the stronger choice on nearly every measure. Despite having a higher percentage of economically disadvantaged students (85.38% vs. 79.78%), McKee posts a better state ranking (8th percentile vs. 6th), and its chronic absenteeism rate of 13.6% is less than half of Brewbaker’s 28.3%—a dramatic gap that suggests McKee has a more engaged student body. McKee also shows a clear academic edge in English, with 8th-grade proficiency at 37.8% compared to Brewbaker’s 25.63%, and it spends more per student ($11,093 vs. $8,965). Brewbaker Middle School, with a larger enrollment of 806, faces steeper challenges: its ranking has slipped, its absenteeism is above the district average, and its math proficiency is alarmingly low—just 2.69% for 7th graders.
Both schools share a critical weakness in mathematics, with proficiency rates in the low single digits for 7th grade, far below the state average of 35.22% for 6th grade. English is a relative strength for both, though still below state norms. The absenteeism paradox—McKee’s higher poverty rate yet far better attendance—suggests school climate and engagement strategies matter more than income alone. For parents, McKee appears to offer a more stable, better-funded environment, while Brewbaker may require closer monitoring of attendance and academic support. Neither school approaches state averages, so families should weigh these factors carefully when choosing a middle school in this area.
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