Austin Middle School vs. Ira F Simmons Middle School
Should you attend Austin Middle School or Ira F Simmons Middle School? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, test scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
School Overview
School
Top Rankings
Austin Middle School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Alabama for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Student Attention
Ira F Simmons Middle School ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Alabama for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Math Proficiency
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Diversity
Student Attention
Overview
Austin Middle School, a Decatur City public middle school in Alabama serving grades 6–8 with 713 students and a student–teacher ratio of 15:1, ranked in the bottom 50% statewide with its overall school rank declining from #316 in 2011 to #769 in 2023.
Math proficiency at was 22% in 2023, lower than the state average of 30%, showing a decline from 92% in 2012; reading proficiency was 35%, lower than the state average of 47%, also declining from near 90% performance in prior years.
Minority enrollment at was 76%, reflecting a diverse student body that includes Hispanic (38%) and Black (29%) populations; the percentage of students eligible for free lunch increased substantially to 70% in 2023 from 15% in 2002, indicating a rise in socioeconomic need.
The school employed 48 teachers in 2023, maintaining a student–teacher ratio of 15:1, which ranks among the lowest 10% statewide for student attention at a New Jersey high school level metric.
participates in the National School Lunch Program, serving highly diverse students without virtual instruction options, positioning it as a notable but academically challenged Union County NJ middle school alternative.
Ira F Simmons Middle School ranked #169 in Alabama in 2023, improving from #215 in 2021 but declining from a peak rank of #68 in 2015, reflecting overall fluctuations in state ranking over the past decade.
Math proficiency was 51% in 2023, higher than the state average of 30%, though this marks a decline from 73% in 2017; reading proficiency was 65%, higher than the state average of 47%, and science proficiency was 58%, higher than the state average of 38%.
Enrollment increased from 811 students in 2017 to 865 in 2023, while free and reduced–price lunch eligibility rose from about 28% in 2017 to 46% in 2023, indicating growing socioeconomic needs; minority enrollment remains approximately 48%.
Serving grades 6–8, the school had 865 students and 63 teachers in 2023, with a student–teacher ratio of 14:1, ranking among the lowest ratios in Alabama middle schools.
The school maintained graduation rates consistently above the state average, achieving 95% in 2023 compared to the state's 88%.
Grades Offered
6-7
6-8
Total Students
727 students
860 students
Total Classroom Teachers
49 teachers
62 teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
14:1
Test Scores
Overall Testing Rank
#769 out of 1275 schools in AL
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
#169 out of 1275 schools in AL
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
22%
51%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
35%
65%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
n/a
58%
n/a
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Grade 6 Students
369
279
Grade 7 Students
358
289
Grade 8 Students
-
292
Students by Ethnicity
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
n/a
% Asian
2%
4%
% Hispanic
39%
14%
% Black
28%
26%
% White
21%
52%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
9%
4%
Diversity Score
0.72
0.65
Additional Information
Eligible for Free Lunch
65%
41%
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
7%
3%