Summary:
Zip code 36509 is served by a single middle school, Peter F Alba Middle School, which educates 443 students in grades 6-8 in Bayou La Batre, AL, as part of the Mobile County school district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is a clear split in academic performance. English Language Arts is a consistent strength, with proficiency rates in every grade level meeting or exceeding the district average. In the most recent school year, 8th-grade ELA proficiency reached 57.04%, essentially matching the state average. Mathematics, however, is a significant challenge. Proficiency rates are well below both district and state averages in all grades, with a particularly steep drop-off from 6th grade (28.24% proficient) to 7th grade (12.7% proficient). This suggests that while students arrive with relatively solid foundational skills, the middle school experience is not effectively building on them in math. Science proficiency in 8th grade (46.81%) also trails the district and state averages.
The school's overall state ranking has slipped from the 57th percentile (3 stars) in 2023-2024 to the 39th-40th percentile (2 stars) in the following two years, reflecting a recent downturn in performance. A likely contributing factor is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 16.7%—nearly 40% higher than the state average of 12.0%. This is a critical concern, as missing school directly impacts learning, especially in cumulative subjects like math. The school also serves a predominantly low-income student population, with nearly 70% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. While this context does not excuse performance, it highlights the need for robust support systems. The student-teacher ratio is 18.4 to 1, and the most recent per-student spending data (from 2018-2019) was $8,704, though this figure is outdated. Overall, Peter F Alba Middle School offers strong ELA instruction but faces significant hurdles in math, attendance, and recent academic momentum.
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