Summary:
Zip code 36854 is home to a single middle school, W F Burns Middle School, which serves grades 6 through 8 in Valley, AL, with an enrollment of 545 students. This school is part of the Chambers County district, which currently holds a 1-star rating and ranks 110th out of 139 districts in Alabama.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that W F Burns Middle School shows a mixed academic profile with one clear standout area. The school ranks 317th out of 443 Alabama middle schools (28th percentile), and its ranking has improved only slightly over three years, moving from 330th to 317th. The biggest bright spot is 8th-grade Science, where 55.88% of students are proficient—this actually beats both the district average (50%) and the state average (54.12%). However, Mathematics is a major concern, with proficiency rates as low as 8.52% in 7th grade and 11.18% in 8th grade. English scores are moderate, ranging from 37.5% to 41.46% across grades. The school also has a notably low chronic absenteeism rate of 7.1%, which is far better than the state average of 12.0%, suggesting students are consistently showing up to class.
There are a few interesting patterns worth noting. Math proficiency drops dramatically from 6th grade (22.44%) to 7th grade (8.52%), which may indicate a challenging curriculum transition. English scores in 7th grade also fell sharply from 47.31% to 37.5% in one year, while other grades improved. On a positive note, 8th-grade Science saw a massive jump from 36.16% to 55.88% proficiency year-over-year. With 57.43% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch, the school faces socioeconomic challenges, but its success in Science and strong attendance show that progress is possible. Per-student spending is $8,033, and the student-teacher ratio is 19:1.
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