Summary:
Zip code 36582 in Theodore, AL, is home to just one middle school, Katherine H Hankins Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 and enrolls 771 students within the Mobile County school district.
As the only middle school in this area, Katherine H Hankins Middle School is the clear focal point for families. The school has a high level of economic need, with 76.13% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, and a chronic absenteeism rate of 13.2%—slightly above the district and state averages. Its student-teacher ratio is 19.2 to 1, and per-student spending was $8,082 (based on 2018-2019 data). The school currently holds a 2-star rating and ranks 311th out of 443 Alabama middle schools, placing it in the lower half statewide. However, the most encouraging news is the dramatic academic improvement from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. Math proficiency rose across all grades, with 8th grade jumping nearly 7 points to 15.22%, and 8th grade science soared by 20 points to 49.78%. These gains suggest targeted STEM interventions are working, even though the school still trails state averages.
There is a clear subject-area divide at this school. English proficiency is consistently much higher than math—for example, 8th grade English (48.25%) is more than triple the 8th grade math rate (15.22%). Yet English scores are the only ones declining year-over-year, with 6th and 7th grades dropping by roughly 3-4 points each. This is a concern, as it could offset the STEM progress. Despite the strong math and science improvements, the school’s state ranking only moved up 10 spots, indicating that other schools are also improving or that the ranking formula weighs English scores heavily. For parents, this school offers a dedicated staff making real strides in STEM, but math remains a critical area needing attention, and the high economic need and absenteeism are challenges that families should be aware of when considering this school.
Thank you for your feedback!