Athens Middle School

Summary:

Athens Middle School is a public middle school serving 958 students in grades 6-8 in Athens, Alabama, which is part of the Decatur City school district. While the school has seen a decline in its statewide ranking and overall performance in recent years, there are some interesting insights that parents should know.

One key area of concern is the uneven performance across different student subgroups at Athens Middle School. While male students and White students perform relatively well, ranking in the top 30-40% of Alabama middle schools, other groups like African American, Hispanic, Native American, and special education students all rank in the bottom 40-50%. The school's performance for English Language Learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds is also in the bottom half of Alabama middle schools. This suggests the school may need to focus on targeted interventions and support for its struggling student populations.

Compared to nearby schools, Athens Middle School's performance is generally lower than that of Madison City schools like Discovery Middle School and Liberty Middle School, which consistently rank among the top schools in the state. However, Athens Middle School does outperform some other nearby schools, such as Decatur Middle School and Williams Middle School, which also serve more economically disadvantaged student populations. This suggests the school's challenges may be partly tied to the high rate of economic disadvantage among its student body.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 100 Hwy 31 North
       Athens, AL  35611


(256) 233-6620

District: Athens City

SchoolDigger Rank:
232nd of 442 Alabama Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,929 Help


Students who attend Athens Middle School usually attend:

High:    Athens High School

Feeder schools for Athens Middle School:

Elementary:    Athens Elementary School
    Athens Intermediate School
    Brookhill Elementary School
    James L Cowart Elementary School
    More...

Student/teacher ratio:  19.4 Help
Number of students:  958

Racial breakdown:

White:
49.9%
Hispanic:
23.5%
African American:
17.8%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  58.6% Help


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 Compare Athens Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Athens Middle School ranks worse than 52.5% of middle schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 45.89. (See more...)
Student Body
Help
Compare Details Student population at Athens Middle School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (49.9%), Hispanic (23.5%), African American (17.8%). (See more...)
Help
Compare Details 58.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
Help
Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Athens Middle School is 19.4. (See more...)
Help
Compare Athens Middle School employs 49.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Athens Middle School is $8,929.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Athens Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks Athens Middle School 232nd of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See Athens Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Native American students:
White students:




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Rank History for Athens Middle School

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Rank History for all students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 84.71 32nd 407 92.1%
2005 81.18 50th 415 88.0%
2006 83.80 39th 409 90.5%
2007 81.52 46th 412 88.8%
2008 83.51 34th 417 91.8%
2009 80.51 47th 425 88.9%
2010 78.98 67th 435 84.6%
2011 69.06 122nd 435 72.0%
2012 69.68 109th 436 75.0%
2013 64.81 137th 436 68.6%
2014 79.28 54th 438 87.7%
2015 68.65 83rd 430 80.7%
2016 71.22 90th 432 79.2%
2017 68.90 98th 432 77.3%
2018 72.30 99th 423 76.6%
2019 64.59 130th 437 70.3%
2021 55.72 175th 440 60.2%
2022 58.23 148th 432 65.7%
2023 55.92 175th 437 60.0%
2024 45.89 232nd 442 47.5%
See the entire list of Alabama Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 36.63 17th 21 19.0%
2018 47.63 15th 30 50.0%
2019 43.45 27th 46 41.3%
2021 34.40 45th 61 26.2%
2022 34.78 41st 60 31.7%
2023 37.74 43rd 72 40.3%
2024 29.86 54th 78 30.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 30.21 23rd 31 25.8%
2021 33.69 57th 70 18.6%
2022 34.06 57th 81 29.6%
2023 41.52 41st 94 56.4%
2024 42.48 46th 106 56.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 70.12 26th 195 86.7%
2018 67.44 41st 223 81.6%
2019 51.80 99th 254 61.0%
2021 47.67 115th 274 58.0%
2022 31.38 191st 256 25.4%
2023 42.99 127th 281 54.8%
2024 27.89 232nd 281 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 45.90 188th 349 46.1%
2018 50.40 198th 396 50.0%
2019 41.87 250th 396 36.9%
2021 34.23 282nd 415 32.0%
2022 40.92 249th 421 40.9%
2023 36.52 271st 410 33.9%
2024 31.56 308th 437 29.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 63.13 114th 380 70.0%
2018 68.19 105th 392 73.2%
2019 61.21 126th 399 68.4%
2021 51.59 191st 415 54.0%
2022 49.01 205th 423 51.5%
2023 47.81 213th 417 48.9%
2024 43.58 235th 426 44.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 27.00 24th 29 17.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 70.77 82nd 380 78.4%
2018 74.78 71st 397 82.1%
2019 64.79 117th 399 70.7%
2021 56.77 152nd 418 63.6%
2022 63.85 115th 427 73.1%
2023 61.57 125th 419 70.2%
2024 47.00 213th 428 50.2%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 57.97 57th 205 72.2%
2018 47.96 108th 247 56.3%
2019 54.10 92nd 252 63.5%
2021 51.99 95th 266 64.3%
2022 41.43 131st 271 51.7%
2023 50.05 98th 263 62.7%
2024 35.89 162nd 269 39.8%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 38.81 63rd 108 41.7%
2018 40.46 64th 113 43.4%
2019 27.62 96th 124 22.6%
2021 28.40 112th 154 27.3%
2022 38.93 91st 157 42.0%
2023 31.34 108th 166 34.9%
2024 31.51 113th 164 31.1%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 24.40 36th 44 18.2%
2021 24.59 44th 56 21.4%
2022 29.65 49th 65 24.6%
2023 30.74 40th 61 34.4%
2024 22.12 55th 69 20.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Athens Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 70.29 51st 247 79.4%
2018 79.87 48th 331 85.5%
2019 64.31 89th 343 74.1%
2021 57.80 119th 369 67.8%
2022 62.89 109th 376 71.0%
2023 57.36 129th 370 65.1%
2024 46.72 178th 373 52.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Alabama State Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Athens Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 





Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Athens Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 626 626
1989 488 155 4 2 0 n/a n/a 0 649
1990 480 152 2 1 1 n/a n/a 0 636
1991 516 167 5 2 3 n/a n/a 0 693
1992 508 173 9 4 2 n/a n/a 0 696
1993 543 177 4 4 1 n/a n/a 0 729
1994 545 185 5 2 2 n/a n/a 0 739
1995 506 176 3 8 1 n/a n/a 0 694
1996 506 176 3 8 1 n/a n/a 0 694
1997 336 91 0 9 3 n/a n/a 0 439
1998 324 125 2 15 1 n/a n/a 3 470
1999 337 112 5 19 1 n/a n/a 4 478
2000 306 110 5 26 0 n/a n/a 0 447
2001 318 109 4 23 0 n/a n/a 0 454
2002 301 112 1 21 0 n/a n/a 0 435
2003 301 112 1 21 0 n/a n/a 0 435
2004 307 110 4 36 4 n/a n/a 0 461
2005 286 115 5 43 3 n/a n/a 0 452
2006 292 135 6 45 2 n/a n/a 1 481
2007 269 114 2 42 1 n/a n/a 1 429
2008 261 98 1 42 1 n/a n/a 0 403
2009 280 121 4 38 2 n/a n/a 0 445
2010 296 120 8 48 2 n/a n/a 0 474
2011 281 126 9 54 1 0 0 0 471
2012 272 139 7 51 0 2 3 0 474
2013 306 134 10 44 1 1 2 0 498
2014 297 137 11 62 3 0 4 0 514
2015 298 144 10 90 6 0 9 0 557
2016 350 118 7 92 4 0 36 0 607
2017 274 96 6 78 2 1 41 0 498
2018 294 85 7 85 3 1 36 0 511
2019 466 148 12 144 6 1 54 0 831
2020 480 163 9 185 4 3 51 0 895
2021 486 184 11 215 8 1 54 0 959
2022 499 167 13 229 8 3 69 1 989
2023 478 171 9 225 6 4 65 0 958

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Athens Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 626 29.1 21.5 0
1989 649 33.0 19.6 n/a
1990 636 33.5 18.9 0
1991 693 35.5 19.5 n/a
1992 696 32.0 21.7 n/a
1993 729 32.5 22.4 n/a
1994 739 41.0 18.0 n/a
1995 694 41.6 16.7 n/a
1996 694 41.6 16.7 n/a
1997 439 24.5 17.9 18.5
1998 470 26.0 18.1 21.2
1999 478 26.0 18.4 28.1
2000 447 25.0 17.9 29.8
2001 454 27.0 16.8 28.9
2002 435 28.5 15.3 33.3
2003 435 28.5 15.3 33.3
2004 461 31.5 14.6 33.8
2005 452 29.0 15.6 33.6
2006 481 28.0 17.1 37.3
2007 429 27.0 15.9 37.9
2008 403 27.0 14.9 35
2009 445 26.3 16.8 42
2010 474 26.0 18.2 47
2011 471 25.5 18.4 45.6
2012 474 27.0 17.5 48.7
2013 498 30.0 16.6 51
2014 514 29.0 17.7 54.3
2015 557 28.0 19.8 51.2
2016 607 28.0 21.6 54.9
2017 498 31.5 15.8 52.4
2018 511 29.0 17.6 49.3
2019 831 41.0 20.2 51.1
2020 895 42.0 21.3 51.5
2021 959 44.5 21.5 52.7
2022 989 43.3 22.8 44.8
2023 958 49.3 19.4 58.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Athens Middle School

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Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 626 29.1 21.5 0
1989 649 33.0 19.6 n/a
1990 636 33.5 18.9 0
1991 693 35.5 19.5 n/a
1992 696 32.0 21.7 n/a
1993 729 32.5 22.4 n/a
1994 739 41.0 18.0 n/a
1995 694 41.6 16.7 n/a
1996 694 41.6 16.7 n/a
1997 439 24.5 17.9 18.5
1998 470 26.0 18.1 21.2
1999 478 26.0 18.4 28.1
2000 447 25.0 17.9 29.8
2001 454 27.0 16.8 28.9
2002 435 28.5 15.3 33.3
2003 435 28.5 15.3 33.3
2004 461 31.5 14.6 33.8
2005 452 29.0 15.6 33.6
2006 481 28.0 17.1 37.3
2007 429 27.0 15.9 37.9
2008 403 27.0 14.9 35
2009 445 26.3 16.8 42
2010 474 26.0 18.2 47
2011 471 25.5 18.4 45.6
2012 474 27.0 17.5 48.7
2013 498 30.0 16.6 51
2014 514 29.0 17.7 54.3
2015 557 28.0 19.8 51.2
2016 607 28.0 21.6 54.9
2017 498 31.5 15.8 52.4
2018 511 29.0 17.6 49.3
2019 831 41.0 20.2 51.1
2020 895 42.0 21.3 51.5
2021 959 44.5 21.5 52.7
2022 989 43.3 22.8 44.8
2023 958 49.3 19.4 58.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Athens Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $999 (11.2%) $7,930 (88.8%) $8,929

Data source: Alabama Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Athens Middle School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 130th of 437 Middle schoolsRanks 175th of 437 Middle schools
 10.3%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (Athens Middle School)45.933.9
 12%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Athens City)46.334.9
 11.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)45.330.8
 14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Athens Middle School)44.317
 27.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Athens City)44.917.6
 27.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)43.121
 22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Athens Middle School)5415.9
 38%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Athens City)52.316.2
 36.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.721.1
 23.6%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students831958
 15.3%
African American148171
 15.5%
American Indian66
Asian129
 25%
Hispanic144225
 56.3%
Pacific Islander14
 300%
White466478
 2.6%
Two or More Races5465
 20.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients51.1%58.6%
 7.4%


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Frequently Asked Questions about Athens Middle School

In the 2022-23 school year, 958 students attended Athens Middle School.

Students who attend Athens Middle School usually go on to attend Athens High School

Athens Middle School ranks 232nd of 442 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Students at Athens Middle School are 50% White, 23% Hispanic, 18% African American, 7% Two or more races.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Alabama State Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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