Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Summary:

Herman J. Russell West End Academy is a public middle school in Atlanta, Georgia, serving 399 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Atlanta Public Schools district, which is ranked 149 out of 203 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite its high per-student spending and low student-teacher ratio, Herman J. Russell West End Academy consistently underperforms compared to the district and state averages on standardized tests. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school's proficiency rates ranged from just 8% to 22.3% in English Language Arts and 8% to 14.9% in Mathematics, while the state averages were 41.6% to 44.7% in ELA and 34.7% to 43.7% in Math. The school has also been ranked in the bottom half of Georgia middle schools for the past 10 years, with a ranking between 462 and 525 out of around 550-600 middle schools. This suggests that the school may be facing systemic challenges that have not been adequately addressed.

Interestingly, the nearby schools, such as Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Middle, David T. Howard Middle School, and Kipp Strive Charter School, generally outperform Herman J. Russell West End Academy on test scores and other metrics. These schools have higher proficiency rates, higher school rankings, and lower percentages of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, which indicates that they serve a less economically disadvantaged student population. This may suggest that funding and resource disparities are contributing to the challenges faced by Herman J. Russell West End Academy.

Detail:

Public 6-8

765 Peeples St SW
Atlanta, GA 30310

(404) 802-6800

District: Atlanta Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
525^th of 588 Georgia Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,160

Students who attend Herman J. Russell West End Academy usually attend:

High:

Booker T. Washington High School

Feeder schools for Herman J. Russell West End Academy:

Elementary:	M. A. Jones Elementary School
	Tuskegee Airman Global Academy

Student/teacher ratio: 10.0

Number of students: 366

Racial breakdown:

African American:

95.4%

Hispanic:

2.5%

Two or more races:

1.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 100%

See top rated Georgia middle schools

Compare Herman J. Russell West End Academy to nearby middle schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Herman J. Russell West End Academy ranks worse than 89.3% of middle schools in Georgia. It also ranks 9^th among 14 ranked middle schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 13.57. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (95.4%), Hispanic (2.5%), two or more races (1.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 100% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Herman J. Russell West End Academy is 10, which is the lowest among 14 middle schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Herman J. Russell West End Academy employs 36.3 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Herman J. Russell West End Academy is $17,160, which is the 2^nd highest among 14 middle schools in the Atlanta Public Schools District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Herman J. Russell West End Academy was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Herman J. Russell West End Academy 525^th of 588 Georgia public middle schools. (See Herman J. Russell West End Academy in the ranking list.)

Atlanta Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Atlanta Public Schools 149^th of 203 Georgia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	GA State Percentile
2006	41.40	296^th	420	29.5%
2007	26.17	381^st	445	14.4%
2008	44.62	293^rd	462	36.6%
2009	33.20	365^th	466	21.7%
2010	40.29	341^st	494	31.0%
2011	35.74	371^st	504	26.4%
2012	27.32	422^nd	508	16.9%
2013	19.48	468^th	527	11.2%
2014	16.65	462^nd	521	11.3%
2015	14.73	466^th	537	13.2%
2016	13.61	482^nd	545	11.6%
2017	11.34	494^th	539	8.3%
2018	12.40	497^th	543	8.5%
2019	17.08	481^st	559	14.0%
2021	12.52	484^th	542	10.7%
2022	14.32	495^th	567	12.7%
2023	17.16	489^th	577	15.3%
2024	13.57	525^th	588	10.7%

See the entire list of Georgia Middle School Rankings!

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

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2000	0	400	1	0	1	n/a	n/a	0	402
2001	0	813	2	2	1	n/a	n/a	0	818
2002	2	940	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	949
2003	2	940	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	949
2004	1	725	3	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	731
2005	0	651	3	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	658
2006	0	604	2	2	0	n/a	n/a	3	611
2007	0	659	1	2	0	n/a	n/a	1	663
2008	0	551	0	1	0	n/a	n/a	1	553
2009	0	572	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	3	575
2010	0	599	0	6	0	0	5	0	610
2011	0	603	0	4	0	0	7	0	614
2012	1	628	0	3	0	0	4	0	636
2013	1	700	1	9	0	0	6	0	717
2014	3	680	1	12	0	0	4	0	700
2015	0	672	1	10	0	0	2	0	685
2016	0	536	1	12	0	0	1	0	550
2017	0	589	0	8	0	0	1	0	598
2018	0	545	0	9	0	0	0	0	554
2019	0	471	0	5	1	0	3	0	480
2020	2	397	0	4	0	1	1	0	405
2021	1	376	0	8	1	2	2	0	390
2022	2	356	2	8	1	0	1	0	370
2023	1	384	1	9	1	0	3	0	399
2024	0	349	2	9	1	0	5	0	366

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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	402	25.0	16.1	79.1
2001	818	46.5	17.6	75.6
2002	949	61.5	15.4	75.4
2003	949	61.5	15.4	75.4
2004	731	52.0	14.1	85.5
2005	658	42.0	15.7	83.3
2006	611	39.0	15.7	89.3
2007	663	37.0	17.9	93.1
2008	553	41.0	13.5	99.3
2009	575	41.0	14.0	100
2010	610	39.1	15.6	97.9
2011	614	43.8	14.0	93.8
2012	636	39.0	16.3	92.6
2013	717	49.0	14.6	99.6
2014	700	50.4	13.8	99.6
2015	685	42.0	16.3	100
2016	550	40.0	13.7	99.5
2017	598	38.0	15.7	100
2018	554	37.2	14.8	100
2019	480	37.3	12.8	100
2020	405	31.2	12.9	78.5
2021	390	28.5	13.6	100
2022	370	31.2	11.8	n/a
2023	399	37.4	10.6	100
2024	366	36.3	10.0	100

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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2000	402	25.0	16.1	79.1
2001	818	46.5	17.6	75.6
2002	949	61.5	15.4	75.4
2003	949	61.5	15.4	75.4
2004	731	52.0	14.1	85.5
2005	658	42.0	15.7	83.3
2006	611	39.0	15.7	89.3
2007	663	37.0	17.9	93.1
2008	553	41.0	13.5	99.3
2009	575	41.0	14.0	100
2010	610	39.1	15.6	97.9
2011	614	43.8	14.0	93.8
2012	636	39.0	16.3	92.6
2013	717	49.0	14.6	99.6
2014	700	50.4	13.8	99.6
2015	685	42.0	16.3	100
2016	550	40.0	13.7	99.5
2017	598	38.0	15.7	100
2018	554	37.2	14.8	100
2019	480	37.3	12.8	100
2020	405	31.2	12.9	78.5
2021	390	28.5	13.6	100
2022	370	31.2	11.8	n/a
2023	399	37.4	10.6	100
2024	366	36.3	10.0	100

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 Herman J. Russell West End Academy

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2017	$1,076 (7.4%)	$13,544 (92.6%)	$14,620
2018	$1,093 (7.2%)	$13,996 (92.8%)	$15,089
2019	$1,222 (7.1%)	$15,938 (92.9%)	$17,160

Data source: Georgia Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Herman J. Russell West End Academy

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 481^st of 559 Middle schools	Ranks 489^th of 577 Middle schools	1.3%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	22.7	13.7	9%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	38.6	31.6	7%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	46	39.2	6.8%
6th Grade Mathematics (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	8.7	1.7	7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	27.5	20.3	7.2%
6th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	40	32.9	7.1%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	16.2	14.3	1.9%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	31.7	32.1	0.4%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	39	39.1	0.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	14.9	6.3	8.6%
7th Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	31.2	23.1	8.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	43	34.9	8.1%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	24.1	23.6	0.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Atlanta Public Schools)	39.9	31.6	8.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Georgia)	47	42.1	4.9%
8th Grade Mathematics (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	16.6	6.5	10.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (Atlanta Public Schools)	24.3	24.9	0.6%
8th Grade Mathematics (Georgia)	35	36.2	1.2%
8th Grade Science (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	26	27.6	1.6%
8th Grade Science (Atlanta Public Schools)	28.6	21.6	7%
8th Grade Science (Georgia)	32	26.4	5.6%
8th Grade Social Studies (Herman J. Russell West End Academy)	14.5	9.8	4.7%
8th Grade Social Studies (Atlanta Public Schools)	33.9	24	9.9%
8th Grade Social Studies (Georgia)	41	35.9	5.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	480	399	16.9%
African American	471	384	18.5%
American Indian	1	1
Asian	0	1
Hispanic	5	9	80%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	0	1
Two or More Races	3	3
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	100%	100%

Schools Near Herman J. Russell West End Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				Milestones Assessment Algebra I (2024)	Milestones Assessment Biology (2024)	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts (2024)				Milestones Assessment Mathematics (2024)				Milestones Assessment Science (2024)		Milestones Assessment Social Studies (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	Milestones Assessment Algebra I End of Course	Milestones Assessment Biology End of Course	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment English Language Arts 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 6th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 7th Grade	Milestones Assessment Mathematics 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 5th Grade	Milestones Assessment Science 8th Grade	Milestones Assessment Social Studies 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Herman J. Russell West End Academy	Public	6-8	765 Peeples St SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-6800	366	36	10.0	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	349 (95.4%)	9 (2.5%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.4%)	13.6	525^th of 588 public middle schools	10.7%		17.2	489^th of 577 public middle schools	15.3%	36				20.0	14.4	22.3		8.0	8.5	14.9		13.4	8.3	$17,160	$1,222	$15,938
Kipp Strive Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	1444 Lucile Ave SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 753-1530	406	28	14.5	74.1%	1 (0.2%)	395 (97.3%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	34.3	375^th of 588 public middle schools	36.2%		34.5	376^th of 577 public middle schools	34.8%	1			38.6	38.5	23.1	42.2	14.9	13.5	15.4	25.6	21.8	16.7	40.0	$13,924	$826	$13,098
Sylvan Hills Middle School	Public	6-8	1461 Sylvan Rd SW	Atlanta	30310	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-6203	430	35	12.1	100.0%	1 (0.2%)	416 (96.7%)	12 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14	520^th of 588 public middle schools	11.6%		20	466^th of 577 public middle schools	19.2%	54	100.0			17.7	9.3	23.4		11.5	7.3	19.9		7.4	16.9	$15,982	$1,212	$14,770
KIPP WAYS Academy Charter School	Public, Charter	5-8	350 Temple St NW	Atlanta	30314	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	Yes	(404) 475-1941	395	31	12.7	93.7%	1 (0.3%)	388 (98.2%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	14.7	518^th of 588 public middle schools	11.9%		15.1	509^th of 577 public middle schools	11.8%	9			18.3	21.3	13.4	20.7	21.5	10.1	5.2	20.7	15.1	13.4	13.4	$12,631	$962	$11,669
Martin L. King Junior Middle School	Public	6-8	545 Hill St SE	Atlanta	30312	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-5400	801	58	13.8	93.0%	117 (14.6%)	597 (74.5%)	53 (6.6%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (3.5%)	23.1	453^rd of 588 public middle schools	23.0%		27.8	418^th of 577 public middle schools	27.6%	35	85.0			31.6	26.2	29.2		17.1	20.1	20.5		6.5	14.0	$15,709	$1,355	$14,354
Judson Price Middle School	Public	6-8	1670 Benjamin Weldon Bickers	Atlanta	30315	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-6300	271	24	11.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	262 (96.7%)	9 (3.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13	535^th of 588 public middle schools	9.0%		8.9	557^th of 577 public middle schools	3.5%	22	23.8			10.3	14.8	17.8		6.3	3.7	24.4		14.4	7.8	$15,476	$695	$14,781
John Lewis Invictus Academy	Public	6-8	1890 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy	Atlanta	30318	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	Yes	(404) 802-6149	738	65	11.3	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	669 (90.7%)	64 (8.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	7.8	569^th of 588 public middle schools	3.2%		11.6	540^th of 577 public middle schools	6.4%	29	34.8	38.1		7.6	10.9	12.8		5.1	4.7	4.8		2.7	12.2	$14,191	$1,036	$13,155
Atlanta SMART Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	2636 Martin Luther King Jr Dr	Atlanta	30311	Fulton County	State Specialty Schools II- Atlanta SMART Academy	Yes	No	No	Yes	(706) 432-1773	213	19	11.5	88.3%	1 (0.5%)	200 (93.9%)	3 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (4.2%)	27.5	423^rd of 588 public middle schools	28.1%		23.4	448^th of 577 public middle schools	22.4%	25			19.0	22.4	30.5	47.5	9.5	8.6	15.3	27.9	28.6	11.5	18.0
David T Howard Middle School	Public	6-8	551 John Wesley Dobbs	Atlanta	30312	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	No	No	No	No	(404) 802-3200	1,056	79	13.3	26.7%	491 (46.5%)	332 (31.4%)	114 (10.8%)	27 (2.6%)	3 (0.3%)	2 (0.2%)	87 (8.2%)	91.3	51^st of 588 public middle schools	91.3%		88.3	58^th of 577 public middle schools	89.9%	7	99.1			66.7	67.2	73.1		59.8	65.2	62.6		36.1	59.4	$13,223	$401	$12,823
Atlanta Neighborhood Charter - Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	820 Essie Ave SE	Atlanta	30316	Fulton County	Atlanta Public Schools	Yes	No	No	No	(678) 904-0051	234	20	11.5	17.5%	147 (62.8%)	48 (20.5%)	12 (5.1%)	4 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	23 (9.8%)	82.2	92^nd of 588 public middle schools	84.4%		82	90^th of 577 public middle schools	84.4%	2	89.7			59.7	67.1	68.9		33.8	68.5	51.4		43.8	45.2	$19,788	$403	$19,788

Frequently Asked Questions about Herman J. Russell West End Academy

What high school do graduates of Herman J. Russell West End Academy attend?

Students who attend Herman J. Russell West End Academy usually go on to attend Booker T. Washington High School

What district is Herman J. Russell West End Academy in?

Atlanta Public Schools

How many students attend Herman J. Russell West End Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 366 students attended Herman J. Russell West End Academy.

Is Herman J. Russell West End Academy a good school?

Herman J. Russell West End Academy ranks in the bottom 10.7% of Georgia middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of Herman J. Russell West End Academy?

Students at Herman J. Russell West End Academy are 95% African American, 2% Hispanic, 1% Two or more races.

Rate Herman J. Russell West End Academy!

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