Is Ronald McNair 78 a good school?

Ronald McNair 78 ranks in the bottom 12.9% of Alabama middle schools.

How many students attend Ronald McNair 78?

In the 2023-24 school year, 411 students attended Ronald McNair 78.

What is the racial makeup of Ronald McNair 78?

Students at Ronald McNair 78 are 73% African American, 18% Hispanic, 5% White, 4% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Ronald McNair 78 attend?

Students who attend Ronald McNair 78 usually go on to attend Jemison High School

Ronald McNair 78

Summary:

Ronald McNair 78 is a middle school located in Huntsville, Alabama, serving 414 students in grades 7-8. The school is part of the Huntsville City School District, which is ranked 83 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Ronald McNair 78 has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (77.54%) compared to nearby schools, it consistently underperforms the Huntsville City and Alabama state averages in academic proficiency. For example, in 2023-2024, only 2.48% of 7th-grade students were proficient in Mathematics, compared to 24.38% in Huntsville City and 23.6% statewide. The school has been ranked in the bottom 20% of Alabama middle schools for several years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger, significantly lower than the higher-performing Huntsville Junior High School, Morris Middle School, and Chapman Middle School.

The high rate of free and reduced lunch recipients at Ronald McNair 78 (87.2% in 2022-2023) suggests that the school serves a predominantly low-income student population, which may contribute to the challenges it faces in academic achievement. In contrast, some nearby schools, such as the Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language Middle School, have specialized academic programs and significantly outperform Ronald McNair 78 in academic measures. While Ronald McNair 78 currently struggles in many areas, the data indicates that there may be opportunities for improvement, particularly in supporting the academic growth of its student subgroups and aligning its curriculum and instructional practices with the higher-performing schools in the area.

Detail:

Public 7-8

5000 Pulaski Pike
Huntsville, AL 35810

(256) 428-7660

District: Huntsville City

SchoolDigger Rank:
385^th of 442 Alabama Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,772

Students who attend Ronald McNair 78 usually attend:

High:

Jemison High School

Feeder schools for Ronald McNair 78:

Elementary:	Highlands Elementary School
	James Dawson Elementary
	Lakewood Elementary School
	Rolling Hills Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio: 20.5

Number of students: 411

Racial breakdown:

African American:

72.7%

Hispanic:

17.5%

White:

5.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 88.1%

See top rated Alabama middle schools

Compare Ronald McNair 78 to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Ronald McNair 78 ranks worse than 87.1% of middle schools in Alabama. It also ranks last among 7 ranked middle schools in the Huntsville City School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.72. (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 (72.7%), Hispanic (17.5%), White (5.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 88.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Huntsville City School District. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Ronald McNair 78 is 20.5. 5 middle schools in the Huntsville City School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Ronald McNair 78 employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ronald McNair 78 is $8,772, which is the 2^nd highest among 7 middle schools in the Huntsville City School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ronald McNair 78:

SchoolDigger ranks Ronald McNair 78 385^th of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See Ronald McNair 78 in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Huntsville City:

SchoolDigger ranks Huntsville City 83^rd of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Your rating for Ronald McNair 78?

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Rank History for Ronald McNair 78

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Rank History for all students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2016	10.46	388^th	432	10.2%
2017	7.80	409^th	432	5.3%
2018	4.99	419^th	423	0.9%
2019	7.35	417^th	437	4.6%
2021	15.71	379^th	440	13.9%
2022	15.78	369^th	432	14.6%
2023	13.41	384^th	437	12.1%
2024	13.72	385^th	442	12.9%

See the entire list of Alabama Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	1.02	30^th	30	0.0%
2022	17.08	53^rd	60	11.7%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2018	25.02	22^nd	25	12.0%
2019	23.52	29^th	31	6.5%
2021	36.57	50^th	70	28.6%
2022	56.01	16^th	81	80.2%
2023	26.00	85^th	94	9.6%
2024	21.62	99^th	106	6.6%

See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	19.10	180^th	195	7.7%
2018	23.09	189^th	223	15.2%
2019	29.69	195^th	254	23.2%
2021	31.42	208^th	274	24.1%
2022	59.90	61^st	256	76.2%
2023	65.51	52^nd	281	81.5%
2024	56.15	90^th	281	68.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	8.81	331^st	349	5.2%
2018	5.91	392^nd	396	1.0%
2019	8.47	383^rd	396	3.3%
2021	21.11	350^th	415	15.7%
2022	25.35	337^th	421	20.0%
2023	20.36	354^th	410	13.7%
2024	16.40	379^th	437	13.3%

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

Rank History for Female students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	8.28	361^st	380	5.0%
2018	6.49	381^st	392	2.8%
2019	9.19	369^th	399	7.5%
2021	14.18	370^th	415	10.8%
2022	17.92	353^rd	423	16.5%
2023	13.05	374^th	417	10.3%
2024	15.28	369^th	426	13.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	8.00	363^rd	380	4.5%
2018	4.77	395^th	397	0.5%
2019	6.74	385^th	399	3.5%
2021	18.60	350^th	418	16.3%
2022	14.38	379^th	427	11.2%
2023	15.19	364^th	419	13.1%
2024	13.03	382^nd	428	10.7%

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

Rank History for African American students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	17.17	193^rd	205	5.9%
2018	14.34	242^nd	247	2.0%
2019	17.78	234^th	252	7.1%
2021	30.06	188^th	266	29.3%
2022	32.26	185^th	271	31.7%
2023	28.98	197^th	263	25.1%
2024	26.08	209^th	269	22.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2017	10.78	105^th	108	2.8%
2018	14.82	106^th	113	6.2%
2019	11.58	115^th	124	7.3%
2021	30.58	111^th	154	27.9%
2022	29.95	117^th	157	25.5%
2023	22.15	141^st	166	15.1%
2024	19.07	144^th	164	12.2%

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

Rank History for White students at Ronald McNair 78

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AL State Percentile
2019	5.62	340^th	343	0.9%
2021	16.81	337^th	369	8.7%
2022	16.17	346^th	376	8.0%
2023	12.29	351^st	370	5.1%
2024	17.54	330^th	373	11.5%

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 Ronald McNair 78

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2015	15	395	1	30	0	5	11	457
2016	12	304	2	24	2	0	11	355
2017	17	338	1	33	0	2	12	403
2018	16	331	0	45	0	0	18	410
2019	17	323	2	52	0	3	21	418
2020	19	329	3	63	0	1	11	426
2021	12	324	1	77	0	1	9	424
2022	16	345	1	67	2	1	0	432
2023	16	321	0	64	2	0	11	414
2024	22	299	0	72	0	1	17	411

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 Ronald McNair 78

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	457	28.0	16.3	62.8
2016	355	25.0	14.2	68.2
2017	403	25.5	15.8	69.5
2018	410	19.5	21.0	n/a
2019	418	25.1	16.6	n/a
2020	426	21.1	20.1	n/a
2021	424	21.1	20.0	n/a
2022	432	18.5	23.3	n/a
2023	414	18.3	22.5	87.2
2024	411	20.0	20.5	88.1

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 Ronald McNair 78

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2015	457	28.0	16.3	62.8
2016	355	25.0	14.2	68.2
2017	403	25.5	15.8	69.5
2018	410	19.5	21.0	n/a
2019	418	25.1	16.6	n/a
2020	426	21.1	20.1	n/a
2021	424	21.1	20.0	n/a
2022	432	18.5	23.3	n/a
2023	414	18.3	22.5	87.2
2024	411	20.0	20.5	88.1

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 Ronald McNair 78

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,662 (18.9%)	$7,108 (81.0%)	$8,772

Data source: Alabama Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ronald McNair 78

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 417^th of 437 Middle schools	Ranks 384^th of 437 Middle schools	7.6%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
7th Grade Mathematics (Ronald McNair 78)	8.8	5.2	3.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Huntsville City)	37.7	22.8	14.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)	43.1	21	22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Ronald McNair 78)	6.2	4	2.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (Huntsville City)	39.8	18.9	20.9%
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	418	414	1%
African American	323	321	0.6%
American Indian	0	2
Asian	2	0	100%
Hispanic	52	64	23.1%
Pacific Islander	3	0	100%
White	17	16	5.9%
Two or More Races	21	11	47.6%

Schools Near Ronald McNair 78

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
Ronald McNair 78	Public	7-8	5000 Pulaski Pike	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7660	411	20	20.5	88.1%	22 (5.4%)	299 (72.7%)	72 (17.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (4.1%)	13.7	385^th of 442 public middle schools	12.9%		13.4	384^th of 437 public middle schools	12.1%	1				2.5	6.3		17.8				18.8	26.8	$8,772	$1,662	$7,108
Academy For Science Foreign Language Middle School	Public	6-8	3221 Mastin Lake Road	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7000	177	18	10.1	27.1%	39 (22.0%)	94 (53.1%)	24 (13.6%)	3 (1.7%)	1 (0.6%)	1 (0.6%)	15 (8.5%)	76.6	74^th of 442 public middle schools	83.3%		70.2	102^nd of 437 public middle schools	76.7%	28			32.8	20.4	29.6		55.6			73.8	66.7	75.9
Academy for Academics and Arts Middle School	Public	6-8	4800 Sparkman Drive NE	Huntsville	35810	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	No	(256) 428-7600	264	19	14.1	18.9%	70 (26.5%)	147 (55.7%)	24 (9.1%)	3 (1.1%)	3 (1.1%)	2 (0.8%)	15 (5.7%)	61.6	146^th of 442 public middle schools	67.0%		69.9	103^rd of 437 public middle schools	76.4%	43			23.7	28.6	12.0		42.7			55.9	63.1	65.3
Chapman Middle School	Public	6-8	2006 Reuben Dr NE	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7640	351	21	16.7	88.0%	40 (11.4%)	237 (67.5%)	56 (16.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (4.8%)	11.1	407^th of 442 public middle schools	7.9%		13.5	383^rd of 437 public middle schools	12.4%	24			5.3	2.0	2.3		9.1			32.1	15.5	27.8
Huntsville Junior High School	Public	6-8	817 Adams St SE	Huntsville	35801	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7700	459	24	19.3	38.3%	201 (43.8%)	179 (39.0%)	49 (10.7%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	24 (5.2%)	57.9	158^th of 442 public middle schools	64.3%		64.2	127^th of 437 public middle schools	70.9%	31				23.1	19.1		45.0				49.2	53.3	$8,048	$1,306	$6,741
Morris Middle School	Public	6-8	4801 Bob Wallace Avenue	Huntsville	35805	Madison County	Huntsville City	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 428-7340	409	27	15.1	57.7%	45 (11.0%)	148 (36.2%)	192 (46.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.7%)	20 (4.9%)	14	382^nd of 442 public middle schools	13.6%		16	374^th of 437 public middle schools	14.4%	8			9.2	4.5	2.3		8.7			31.2	27.9	32.0
Monrovia Middle School	Public	6-8	1216 Jeff Rd	Huntsville	35806	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4580	988	50	19.7	36.6%	507 (51.3%)	301 (30.5%)	84 (8.5%)	19 (1.9%)	25 (2.5%)	4 (0.4%)	48 (4.9%)	78.9	68^th of 442 public middle schools	84.6%		83.1	50^th of 437 public middle schools	88.6%	18			45.3	26.3	26.8		50.8			69.5	70.9	67.4	$8,013	$687	$7,287
Riverton Intermediate School	Public	4-6	399 Homer Nance Road	Huntsville	35811	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4640	822	38	21.6	36.6%	487 (59.2%)	175 (21.3%)	49 (6.0%)	12 (1.5%)	44 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.7%)								(n/a)	52.0	49.0	49.8			56.6		71.2	72.0	70.3			$7,840	$714	$7,086
Meridianville Middle School	Public	6-8	12975 Highway 231431 N	Hazel Green	35750	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	No	(256) 851-4550	1,058	48	22.0	48.6%	524 (49.5%)	306 (28.9%)	105 (9.9%)	13 (1.2%)	48 (4.5%)	1 (0.1%)	61 (5.8%)	66.1	120^th of 442 public middle schools	72.9%		78.2	70^th of 437 public middle schools	84.0%	50			28.7	26.8	29.9		43.9			53.5	59.7	60.8	$8,857	$826	$7,993
Sparkman Middle School	Public	6-8	2697 Carters Gin Rd	Toney	35773	Madison County	Madison County	No	No	No	Yes	(256) 851-4610	823	40	20.5	64.5%	294 (35.7%)	318 (38.6%)	105 (12.8%)	8 (1.0%)	30 (3.6%)	2 (0.2%)	66 (8.0%)	49.4	208^th of 442 public middle schools	52.9%		52.9	192^nd of 437 public middle schools	56.1%	16			17.7	16.8	10.4		45.6			51.7	52.7	55.4	$8,275	$1,782	$6,454

Ronald McNair 78

Ronald McNair 78:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Huntsville City:

What do you think?

Rank History for Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for all students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Special Education students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Female students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Male students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for African American students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for Hispanic students at Ronald McNair 78

Rank History for White students at Ronald McNair 78

Enrollment information for Ronald McNair 78

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Ronald McNair 78

Student/Teacher Ratio Ronald McNair 78

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ronald McNair 78

Impact of COVID-19 on Ronald McNair 78

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Ronald McNair 78

Frequently Asked Questions about Ronald McNair 78

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