Summary:
Zip code 36875 is home to just one middle school, Russell County Middle School, a public school serving grades 6 through 8 with an enrollment of 810 students in the Russell County district.
For parents considering this area, Russell County Middle School is the only option for middle schoolers, so its performance defines the local educational experience. The school holds a 2-star rating and ranks 290th out of 443 schools in Alabama (35th percentile), placing it in the lower half of the state. The most pressing concern is mathematics: proficiency rates are dramatically below state averages across all grades, with 6th grade at just 16.67% proficient compared to the state's 35.22%, and 7th and 8th grades also lagging by roughly 9-10 percentage points. English scores are closer to state averages but still trail, with gaps ranging from 6 to 14 points depending on grade. The one bright spot is 8th-grade science, where 50.58% of students are proficient, nearly matching the state's 54.12%.
There are some encouraging signs beyond test scores. Chronic absenteeism is 10.2%, which is better than both the district (10.9%) and state (12.0%) averages, suggesting students are attending school regularly. About half of the student body (50.25%) qualifies for free or reduced lunch, and the student-teacher ratio is 18.8. However, year-over-year results are volatile—8th-grade science jumped from 25.28% to 50.58% proficiency, while 6th-grade math fell from 25.29% to 16.67%. Despite these swings, the school's overall state ranking has stayed remarkably stable around the 34th-35th percentile for three years. Parents should note that spending data is from 2018-2019 ($8,154 per student) and may not reflect current funding. Overall, this school offers a solid attendance record and a strong science program, but math achievement is a clear area needing attention.
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