Summary:
Zip code 36703 is home to just one middle school, William R Martin Middle School, which serves grades 7 and 8 with 180 students in the Valley Grande area of Alabama, operating within the Dallas County school district.
For parents considering this school, the most important takeaway is that William R Martin Middle School serves a predominantly low-income student body, with 85% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch. The school faces real challenges, including a chronic absenteeism rate of 35.7%—more than double the district rate and nearly triple the state average—and a high student-teacher ratio of 24:1. Academically, math proficiency is a significant concern, with scores declining as students advance: 17.28% proficiency in 6th grade, 13.13% in 7th, and just 6.17% in 8th grade. However, the school shows notable relative strengths in other areas. Eighth-grade science proficiency reached 41.98%, far exceeding the district's 26.71% and approaching the state average. English scores are also a bright spot, with 7th-grade proficiency at 52.53%, just 2.72 points below the state average—a remarkable achievement given the high poverty level.
Despite its challenges, the school is showing positive momentum. From 2024-2025 to 2025-2026, it improved in four of five comparable subject-grade combinations, including dramatic gains of 13 points in 8th-grade science and 12.7 points in 7th-grade English. The school consistently outperforms its district across nearly every subject, making it a relative bright spot within an underperforming district that ranks in the bottom 8% of Alabama. However, the school's overall ranking has slipped from the 41st percentile in 2023-2024 to the 28th percentile in recent years, likely tied to the high absenteeism and large class sizes. For parents, this is a school with dedicated educators making meaningful progress, but systemic issues around attendance and math achievement remain critical areas needing attention.
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