Summary:
Zip code 36502 in Atmore, AL is served by a single public middle school, Escambia County Middle School, which enrolls 278 students in grades 6 through 8 and is part of the Escambia County school district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that Escambia County Middle School faces significant academic challenges, particularly in mathematics. In the 2025-2026 school year, math proficiency rates were in the single digits across all grade levels—just 4.65% for 6th grade, 4.76% for 7th grade, and 8.96% for 8th grade—compared to state averages ranging from 24% to 35%. This represents a persistent and severe gap that has remained consistent from the prior year. English performance is stronger but still below state averages, with 8th-grade English at 50% proficiency (close to the state's 58.53%) and 6th and 7th grade English in the mid-30s. Science proficiency for 8th graders is 34.85%, also below the state average of 54.12%.
One notable bright spot is the dramatic improvement in 8th-grade English, which jumped from 14.85% proficiency in 2024-2025 to 50% in 2025-2026—a 35-point increase worth investigating for replication in other subjects. However, the school also struggles with chronic absenteeism at 31.6%, more than double the state average of 12%, and nearly 90% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, indicating a high-poverty population. The school's state ranking has fluctuated in the bottom quartile, from 346th out of 442 schools in 2023-2024 to 389th in 2024-2025, then improving slightly to 360th in 2025-2026. With a student-teacher ratio of 17.3 and per-student spending of $9,212, parents should be aware that while the school has some instructional strengths, targeted math intervention and attendance support are critical areas needing immediate attention.
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