Summary:
In zip code 36617, there is exactly one middle school, Booker T Washington Middle School, serving grades 6-8 in Mobile, AL, with 270 students and a very high rate of economic disadvantage (92.59% free/reduced lunch).
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is a stark contrast between attendance and academics. The school's chronic absenteeism rate is just 8.6%, which is notably better than both the Mobile County district (12.8%) and the state average (12.0%). This means students are consistently showing up to class. However, that strong attendance does not translate into strong test scores. In the 2025-2026 school year, math proficiency was critically low across all grades: 12.39% in 6th grade, 0% in 7th grade, and 10% in 8th grade. The 7th-grade score of 0% is a major red flag that warrants immediate investigation. English Language Arts (ELA) scores are higher but still below district averages, ranging from 27.83% in 6th grade to 40.51% in 8th grade. Science proficiency in 8th grade is 25%, roughly half the district average of 51.52%.
There is one positive trend worth noting: 8th-grade ELA proficiency jumped from 26.21% to 40.51% between 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, a gain of over 14 points. This suggests that literacy interventions for that grade may be working and could be replicated in other subjects. The school's state ranking remains low, hovering in the bottom 13th percentile (394th out of ~440 schools in 2025-2026). Per-student spending is $10,926, which is likely above the state average, yet outcomes remain low. The defining challenge here is the severe math gap—8th-grade ELA proficiency is four times higher than 8th-grade math proficiency. Parents should expect that their child will need significant additional math support, while attendance is a clear strength of this school.
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