Is John P Powell Middle School a good school?

John P Powell Middle School ranks in the bottom 10.2% of Alabama middle schools.

How many students attend John P Powell Middle School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 144 students attended John P Powell Middle School.

What is the racial makeup of John P Powell Middle School?

Students at John P Powell Middle School are 70% African American, 24% White, 5% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of John P Powell Middle School attend?

Students who attend John P Powell Middle School usually go on to attend Lafayette High School

John P Powell Middle School

Summary:

John P Powell Middle School is a small public middle school in Lafayette, Alabama, serving grades 6-8 with a student population of 129. The school is part of the Chambers County School District, which is ranked 113 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

John P Powell Middle School stands out for several key reasons. It has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (74.42%) compared to nearby schools like Handley Middle School, Opelika Middle School, and W.F. Burns Middle School, which have more diverse student populations. Academically, the school consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of Alabama middle schools, with proficiency rates in core subjects like Math and English Language Arts that are significantly lower than state and county averages. Additionally, over 95% of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage.

Despite the school's higher spending per student ($13,362) compared to nearby schools, the academic performance has not seen significant improvement. This suggests that the resources may not be effectively targeted or utilized to address the underlying challenges. The stark contrast in academic performance and student demographics between John P Powell Middle School and its higher-performing counterparts highlights the need for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to provide equitable educational opportunities for all students in the community.

Detail:

Public 6-8

300 Ave A SE
Lafayette, AL 36862

(334) 864-8274

District: Chambers County

SchoolDigger Rank:
397^th of 442 Alabama Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,362

Students who attend John P Powell Middle School usually attend:

High:

Lafayette High School

Feeder schools for John P Powell Middle School:

Elementary:

Lafayette Eastside Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.0

Number of students: 144

Racial breakdown:

African American:

70.1%

White:

23.6%

Hispanic:

4.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 95.1%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare John P Powell Middle School to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details John P Powell Middle School ranks worse than 89.8% of middle schools in Alabama. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.37. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (70.1%), White (23.6%), Hispanic (4.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 95.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at John P Powell Middle School is 16. (See more...)

Compare John P Powell Middle School employs 8.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at John P Powell Middle School is $13,362.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

John P Powell Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks John P Powell Middle School 397^th of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See John P Powell Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Chambers County:

SchoolDigger ranks Chambers County 113^th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for John P Powell Middle School?

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Rank History for John P Powell Middle School

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Rank History for all students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2004	5.17	396^th	407	2.7%
2005	28.00	324^th	415	21.9%
2006	13.44	385^th	409	5.9%
2007	5.65	400^th	412	2.9%
2008	8.73	405^th	417	2.9%
2009	23.92	357^th	425	16.0%
2010	8.06	413^th	435	5.1%
2011	10.92	403^rd	435	7.4%
2012	13.36	397^th	436	8.9%
2013	15.06	399^th	436	8.5%
2014	15.71	368^th	438	16.0%
2015	16.39	364^th	430	15.3%
2016	12.95	375^th	432	13.2%
2017	11.73	378^th	432	12.5%
2018	9.52	388^th	423	8.3%
2019	12.69	387^th	437	11.4%
2021	13.13	393^rd	440	10.7%
2022	14.90	372^nd	432	13.9%
2023	18.11	362^nd	437	17.2%
2024	12.37	397^th	442	10.2%

See the entire list of Alabama Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	9.90	251^st	254	1.2%
2021	40.89	153^rd	274	44.2%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	16.44	310^th	349	11.2%
2018	8.18	382^nd	396	3.5%
2019	11.67	370^th	396	6.6%
2021	16.86	370^th	415	10.8%
2022	20.01	361^st	421	14.3%
2023	23.24	336^th	410	18.0%
2024	15.03	390^th	437	10.8%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	11.47	340^th	380	10.5%
2018	10.69	357^th	392	8.9%
2019	14.85	346^th	399	13.3%
2021	11.32	391^st	415	5.8%
2022	16.33	361^st	423	14.7%
2023	20.43	344^th	417	17.5%
2024	16.17	364^th	426	14.6%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	14.78	330^th	380	13.2%
2018	9.93	365^th	397	8.1%
2019	12.10	361^st	399	9.5%
2021	16.04	364^th	418	12.9%
2022	14.59	376^th	427	11.9%
2023	18.21	348^th	419	16.9%
2024	11.30	398^th	428	7.0%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	27.28	163^rd	205	20.5%
2018	23.24	203^rd	247	17.8%
2019	30.79	184^th	252	27.0%
2021	26.83	208^th	266	21.8%
2022	32.16	186^th	271	31.4%
2023	32.76	179^th	263	31.9%
2024	25.12	219^th	269	18.6%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at John P Powell Middle School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	26.79	291^st	370	21.4%

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.

Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for John P Powell 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	405	405
1989	42	378	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	421
1990	47	358	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	405
1991	47	387	0	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	435
1992	43	475	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	518
1993	44	463	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	507
1994	34	496	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	530
1995	32	460	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
1996	32	460	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	492
1997	40	417	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	457
1998	26	262	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	288
1999	25	222	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	247
2000	18	219	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	237
2001	12	241	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2002	14	261	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2003	14	261	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	275
2004	17	234	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	251
2005	9	210	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	219
2006	9	192	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	201
2007	4	208	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	212
2008	5	191	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	196
2009	6	185	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	191
2010	8	158	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	167
2011	13	147	0	1	0	0	1	0	162
2012	11	148	0	0	0	0	0	0	159
2013	8	157	0	1	0	0	0	0	166
2014	10	139	0	1	0	0	1	0	151
2015	8	143	0	2	0	0	0	0	153
2016	4	145	0	2	0	0	0	0	151
2017	8	133	2	5	0	0	0	0	148
2018	6	124	1	3	0	0	0	0	134
2019	11	117	1	3	0	0	0	0	132
2020	12	122	0	0	0	0	0	0	134
2021	15	131	0	0	0	0	0	0	146
2022	11	110	0	5	0	0	1	0	127
2023	28	96	0	5	0	0	0	0	129
2024	34	101	0	7	0	0	2	0	144

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 John P Powell Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	19.0	21.3	0
1989	421	19.0	22.1	n/a
1990	405	21.0	19.2	0
1991	435	22.0	19.7	n/a
1992	518	27.0	19.1	n/a
1993	507	28.0	18.1	n/a
1994	530	27.9	19.0	n/a
1995	492	26.3	18.7	n/a
1996	492	26.3	18.7	n/a
1997	457	26.7	17.1	83.4
1998	288	19.9	14.5	80.9
1999	247	16.0	15.4	94.7
2000	237	17.0	13.9	93.7
2001	253	16.0	15.8	91.3
2002	275	12.9	21.3	94.2
2003	275	12.9	21.3	94.2
2004	251	15.1	16.6	96.4
2005	219	21.0	10.4	95
2006	201	16.0	12.6	92
2007	212	13.8	15.4	91.5
2008	196	14.8	13.2	93.4
2009	191	13.7	13.8	94.8
2010	167	16.5	10.1	96.4
2011	162	17.9	9.0	93.8
2012	159	18.9	8.4	95
2013	166	15.5	10.7	95.2
2014	151	12.2	12.2	95.4
2015	153	11.0	13.9	96.1
2016	151	11.0	13.7	96
2017	148	11.0	13.4	60.1
2018	134	10.6	12.5	95.5
2019	132	10.6	12.4	94.7
2020	134	10.6	12.5	95.5
2021	146	10.6	13.7	95.2
2022	127	9.1	13.8	95.3
2023	129	8.8	14.5	95.3
2024	144	8.9	16.0	95.1

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 John P Powell Middle School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	405	19.0	21.3	0
1989	421	19.0	22.1	n/a
1990	405	21.0	19.2	0
1991	435	22.0	19.7	n/a
1992	518	27.0	19.1	n/a
1993	507	28.0	18.1	n/a
1994	530	27.9	19.0	n/a
1995	492	26.3	18.7	n/a
1996	492	26.3	18.7	n/a
1997	457	26.7	17.1	83.4
1998	288	19.9	14.5	80.9
1999	247	16.0	15.4	94.7
2000	237	17.0	13.9	93.7
2001	253	16.0	15.8	91.3
2002	275	12.9	21.3	94.2
2003	275	12.9	21.3	94.2
2004	251	15.1	16.6	96.4
2005	219	21.0	10.4	95
2006	201	16.0	12.6	92
2007	212	13.8	15.4	91.5
2008	196	14.8	13.2	93.4
2009	191	13.7	13.8	94.8
2010	167	16.5	10.1	96.4
2011	162	17.9	9.0	93.8
2012	159	18.9	8.4	95
2013	166	15.5	10.7	95.2
2014	151	12.2	12.2	95.4
2015	153	11.0	13.9	96.1
2016	151	11.0	13.7	96
2017	148	11.0	13.4	60.1
2018	134	10.6	12.5	95.5
2019	132	10.6	12.4	94.7
2020	134	10.6	12.5	95.5
2021	146	10.6	13.7	95.2
2022	127	9.1	13.8	95.3
2023	129	8.8	14.5	95.3
2024	144	8.9	16.0	95.1

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 John P Powell Middle School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$4,042 (30.2%)	$9,306 (69.6%)	$13,362

Data source: Alabama Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on John P Powell 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 387^th of 437 Middle schools	Ranks 362^nd of 437 Middle schools	5.7%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (John P Powell Middle School)	12.2	11.9	0.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Chambers County)	36.4	16.5	19.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	45.3	30.8	14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (John P Powell Middle School)	13	2.4	10.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Chambers County)	32.5	12	20.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	43.1	21	22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (John P Powell Middle School)	18.6	4.2	14.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Chambers County)	29.6	4.5	25.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	44.7	21.1	23.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	132	129	2.3%
African American	117	96	17.9%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	1	0	100%
Hispanic	3	5	66.7%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	11	28	154.5%
Two or More Races	0	0
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	94.7%	95.3%	0.7%

Schools Near John P Powell Middle School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Summative Assessment Mathematics (2024)					Summative Assessment Science (2024)		Summative Assessment English (2024)					Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	Summative Assessment Mathematics 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Summative Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 4th Grade	Summative Assessment Science 8th Grade	Summative Assessment English 4th Grade	Summative Assessment English 5th Grade	Summative Assessment English 6th Grade	Summative Assessment English 7th Grade	Summative Assessment English 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
John P Powell Middle School	Public	6-8	300 Ave A SE	Lafayette	36862	Chambers County	Chambers County	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 864-8274	144	9	16.0	95.1%	34 (23.6%)	101 (70.1%)	7 (4.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.4%)	12.4	397^th of 442 public middle schools	10.2%		18.1	362^nd of 437 public middle schools	17.2%	35			9.1	4.4	2.4		14.6			22.2	27.3	24.4	$13,362	$4,042	$9,306
Lanett Junior High School	Public	7-8	1301 South 8th Avenue	Lanett	36863	Chambers County	Lanett City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 644-5950	148	8	19.7	95.9%	8 (5.4%)	87 (58.8%)	48 (32.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.4%)	10.8	411^th of 442 public middle schools	7.0%		9.2	418^th of 437 public middle schools	4.3%	7				8.7	0.0		7.7				23.1	16.2	$10,778	$2,436	$8,339
W F Burns Middle School	Public	6-8	292 Johnson St	Valley	36854	Chambers County	Chambers County	No	No	No	No	(334) 756-3567	516	31	16.6	62.2%	249 (48.3%)	216 (41.9%)	37 (7.2%)	3 (0.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (1.9%)	26.9	330^th of 442 public middle schools	25.3%		31.6	314^th of 437 public middle schools	28.1%	16			14.7	8.9	9.3		21.6			41.3	42.0	36.6	$8,033	$1,242	$6,776
Opelika Middle School	Public	7-8	1206 Denson Dr	Opelika	36801	Lee County	Opelika City	No	No	No	No	(334) 745-9726	798	51	15.7	74.4%	218 (27.3%)	424 (53.1%)	127 (15.9%)	9 (1.1%)	8 (1.0%)	3 (0.4%)	9 (1.1%)	54.1	184^th of 442 public middle schools	58.4%		52.8	193^rd of 437 public middle schools	55.8%	9				21.1	27.0		38.2				48.1	45.9	$8,645	$934	$7,550
Fox Run School	Public	6	1100 Fox Run Parkway	Opelika	36801	Lee County	Opelika City	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(334) 745-9751	384	15	25.6	76.6%	95 (24.7%)	213 (55.5%)	64 (16.7%)	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)								(n/a)			31.2							47.0
Handley Middle School	Public	4-8	251 Gilham Rd	Roanoke	36274	Randolph County	Roanoke City	No	No	No	Yes	(334) 539-5265	497	28	18.0	71.2%	281 (56.5%)	197 (39.6%)	8 (1.6%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.6%)	43.8	241^st of 442 public middle schools	45.5%		43	250^th of 437 public middle schools	42.8%	9	28.6	28.3	21.0	20.2	8.5	33.7	27.4	48.0	57.6	49.0	57.3	47.9	$8,210	$1,230	$6,981

John P Powell Middle School

John P Powell Middle School:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Chambers County:

What do you think?

Rank History for John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for all students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for Special Education students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for Female students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for Male students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for African American students at John P Powell Middle School

Rank History for White students at John P Powell Middle School

Enrollment information for John P Powell Middle School

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at John P Powell Middle School

Student/Teacher Ratio John P Powell Middle School

Per Pupil Expenditures for John P Powell Middle School

Impact of COVID-19 on John P Powell Middle School

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near John P Powell Middle School