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South Highlands Middle School

Summary:

South Highlands Middle School is a public middle school in Union Springs, Alabama, serving 424 students in grades 5-8. The school is part of the Bullock County School District, which is ranked 131 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

South Highlands Middle School consistently ranks in the bottom 10-15% of Alabama middle schools, with proficiency rates on state assessments significantly below the state and county averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, the school's 8th-grade math proficiency rate was 3.13%, compared to the state average of 22.06%. The school's performance is particularly low for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic students and students with special needs, but it performs relatively better for English Language Learners.

The school has a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 81.29% to 81.37% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch over the past three school years. The school's per-student spending for the 2018-2019 school year was $7,701, which is lower than the state average. These factors, along with the school's persistent underperformance and demographic disparities, suggest that addressing the systemic challenges at South Highlands Middle School will require a comprehensive, data-driven approach focused on targeted interventions, resource allocation, and community engagement.


Detail:

Public 5-8

 700 Bernard Street
       Union Springs, AL  36089-0111

(334) 651-0183

District: Bullock County

SchoolDigger Rank:
408th of 442 Alabama Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $7,701 Help


Students who attend South Highlands Middle School usually attend:

High:    Bullock County High School

Feeder schools for South Highlands Middle School:

Elementary:    Union Springs Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  15.9 Help
Number of students:  383

Racial breakdown:

African American:
75.7%
Hispanic:
23.0%
White:
1.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  81.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details South Highlands Middle School ranks worse than 92.3% of middle schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.06. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Racial makeup is: African American (75.7%), Hispanic (23%), White (1%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 81.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at South Highlands Middle School is 15.9. (See more...)
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Compare South Highlands Middle School employs 24 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at South Highlands Middle School is $7,701.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

South Highlands Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks South Highlands Middle School 408th of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See South Highlands Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
Native American students:


Bullock County:

SchoolDigger ranks Bullock County 131st of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for South Highlands Middle School

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Rank History for all students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2007 6.10 396th 412 3.9%
2008 16.96 375th 417 10.1%
2009 28.40 338th 425 20.5%
2010 26.49 352nd 435 19.1%
2011 27.66 340th 435 21.8%
2012 29.75 336th 436 22.9%
2013 13.93 403rd 436 7.6%
2014 7.07 429th 438 2.1%
2015 12.80 383rd 430 10.9%
2016 9.78 394th 432 8.8%
2017 10.13 387th 432 10.4%
2018 12.20 366th 423 13.5%
2019 5.75 425th 437 2.7%
2021 10.51 423rd 440 3.9%
2022 9.40 411th 432 4.9%
2023 12.12 396th 437 9.4%
2024 11.06 408th 442 7.7%
See the entire list of Alabama Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 41.79 31st 70 55.7%
2022 34.18 55th 81 32.1%
2023 52.35 27th 94 71.3%
2024 55.44 26th 106 75.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 25.79 231st 274 15.7%
2022 16.59 253rd 256 1.2%
2023 21.23 260th 281 7.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 8.78 332nd 349 4.9%
2018 15.37 347th 396 12.4%
2019 6.94 385th 396 2.8%
2021 12.68 401st 415 3.4%
2022 11.62 407th 421 3.3%
2023 17.54 365th 410 11.0%
2024 13.83 396th 437 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 8.71 359th 380 5.5%
2018 14.97 338th 392 13.8%
2019 7.48 379th 399 5.0%
2021 10.93 398th 415 4.1%
2022 8.69 414th 423 2.1%
2023 13.27 373rd 417 10.6%
2024 12.28 386th 426 9.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 12.26 338th 380 11.1%
2018 13.07 348th 397 12.3%
2019 5.46 391st 399 2.0%
2021 11.10 403rd 418 3.6%
2022 11.96 391st 427 8.4%
2023 12.53 386th 419 7.9%
2024 12.02 391st 428 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 21.44 184th 205 10.2%
2018 33.91 159th 247 35.6%
2019 17.43 237th 252 6.0%
2021 21.30 238th 266 10.5%
2022 21.05 240th 271 11.4%
2023 29.46 194th 263 26.2%
2024 26.20 208th 269 22.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 16.98 100th 108 7.4%
2018 18.27 100th 113 11.5%
2019 11.24 116th 124 6.5%
2021 16.32 146th 154 5.2%
2022 13.23 151st 157 3.8%
2023 16.36 153rd 166 7.8%
2024 16.02 153rd 164 6.7%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for Native American students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 17.02 61st 65 6.2%
2023 20.60 52nd 61 14.8%
2024 19.87 57th 69 17.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at South Highlands Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 1.54 343rd 343 0.0%
2021 6.57 367th 369 0.5%
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.

South Highlands Middle School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Alabama State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for South Highlands 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 459 459
1989 7 472 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 479
1990 2 455 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 457
1991 2 511 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 513
1992 5 530 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 535
1993 4 543 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 547
1994 9 568 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 577
1995 3 529 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 532
1996 3 529 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 532
1997 4 512 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 516
1998 1 535 0 2 0 n/a n/a 0 538
1999 1 526 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 527
2000 0 497 0 1 0 n/a n/a 0 498
2001 1 522 0 4 0 n/a n/a 0 527
2002 0 374 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 374
2003 0 374 0 0 0 n/a n/a 0 374
2004 3 377 0 3 0 n/a n/a 0 383
2005 0 338 0 9 0 n/a n/a 0 347
2006 0 340 1 16 0 n/a n/a 0 357
2007 1 471 0 24 0 n/a n/a 0 496
2008 0 439 0 24 0 n/a n/a 0 463
2009 0 428 0 24 0 n/a n/a 0 452
2010 4 410 0 37 0 n/a n/a 0 451
2011 2 393 0 45 0 0 0 0 440
2012 3 397 0 33 0 0 1 0 434
2013 5 388 0 34 0 0 0 0 427
2014 5 370 0 41 0 0 0 0 416
2015 7 329 0 68 0 0 1 0 405
2016 4 339 0 65 0 0 0 0 408
2017 2 348 0 63 0 0 0 0 413
2018 4 350 0 63 0 0 0 0 417
2019 6 406 1 58 0 0 0 0 471
2020 10 401 1 65 0 0 0 0 477
2021 10 388 2 82 0 0 0 0 482
2022 5 366 2 91 0 0 1 0 465
2023 3 336 0 84 1 0 0 0 424
2024 4 290 0 88 1 0 0 0 383

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 South Highlands Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 459 23.0 19.9 0
1989 479 22.0 21.7 n/a
1990 457 22.0 20.7 0
1991 513 20.0 25.6 n/a
1992 535 20.0 26.7 n/a
1993 547 21.0 26.0 n/a
1994 577 23.9 24.1 n/a
1995 532 24.0 22.2 n/a
1996 532 24.0 22.2 n/a
1997 516 24.0 21.5 85.5
1998 538 24.0 22.4 82
1999 527 25.0 21.1 91.3
2000 498 25.0 19.9 92.8
2001 527 26.0 20.3 91.1
2002 374 20.0 18.7 92.5
2003 374 20.0 18.7 92.5
2004 383 21.0 18.2 91.6
2005 347 20.0 17.4 93.7
2006 357 18.0 19.8 91
2007 496 24.5 20.2 92.5
2008 463 26.0 17.8 98.7
2009 452 22.8 19.7 74.8
2010 451 27.0 16.7 79.8
2011 440 26.0 16.9 72.5
2012 434 26.0 16.6 92.9
2013 427 26.0 16.4 87.6
2014 416 21.0 19.8 81.5
2015 405 19.0 21.3 69.4
2016 408 19.0 21.4 69.4
2017 413 20.0 20.6 70.9
2018 417 21.0 19.8 81.3
2019 471 22.0 21.4 81.1
2020 477 22.0 21.6 81.3
2021 482 22.0 21.9 81.3
2022 465 20.0 23.2 81.3
2023 424 21.0 20.1 81.4
2024 383 24.0 15.9 81.2

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 South Highlands Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 459 23.0 19.9 0
1989 479 22.0 21.7 n/a
1990 457 22.0 20.7 0
1991 513 20.0 25.6 n/a
1992 535 20.0 26.7 n/a
1993 547 21.0 26.0 n/a
1994 577 23.9 24.1 n/a
1995 532 24.0 22.2 n/a
1996 532 24.0 22.2 n/a
1997 516 24.0 21.5 85.5
1998 538 24.0 22.4 82
1999 527 25.0 21.1 91.3
2000 498 25.0 19.9 92.8
2001 527 26.0 20.3 91.1
2002 374 20.0 18.7 92.5
2003 374 20.0 18.7 92.5
2004 383 21.0 18.2 91.6
2005 347 20.0 17.4 93.7
2006 357 18.0 19.8 91
2007 496 24.5 20.2 92.5
2008 463 26.0 17.8 98.7
2009 452 22.8 19.7 74.8
2010 451 27.0 16.7 79.8
2011 440 26.0 16.9 72.5
2012 434 26.0 16.6 92.9
2013 427 26.0 16.4 87.6
2014 416 21.0 19.8 81.5
2015 405 19.0 21.3 69.4
2016 408 19.0 21.4 69.4
2017 413 20.0 20.6 70.9
2018 417 21.0 19.8 81.3
2019 471 22.0 21.4 81.1
2020 477 22.0 21.6 81.3
2021 482 22.0 21.9 81.3
2022 465 20.0 23.2 81.3
2023 424 21.0 20.1 81.4
2024 383 24.0 15.9 81.2

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 South Highlands Middle School

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,671 (21.7%) $6,014 (78.1%) $7,701

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

Impact of COVID-19 on South Highlands 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 425th of 437 Middle schoolsRanks 396th of 437 Middle schools
 6.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
5th Grade Mathematics (South Highlands Middle School)141
 13%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Bullock County)141
 13%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)44.933.9
 10.9%
6th Grade Mathematics (South Highlands Middle School)8.71.1
 7.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Bullock County)8.71.1
 7.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)45.330.8
 14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (South Highlands Middle School)11.1
 0.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Bullock County)11.1
 0.1%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)43.121
 22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (South Highlands Middle School)11.76.7
 5%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Bullock County)11.76.7
 5%
   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 Students471424
 10%
African American406336
 17.2%
American Indian01
Asian10
 100%
Hispanic5884
 44.8%
Pacific Islander00
White63
 50%
Two or More Races00
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients81.1%81.4%
 0.3%

Schools Near South Highlands Middle School








Frequently Asked Questions about South Highlands Middle School

South Highlands Middle School ranks in the bottom 7.7% of Alabama middle schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 383 students attended South Highlands Middle School.

Students who attend South Highlands Middle School usually go on to attend Bullock County High School

Students at South Highlands Middle School are 76% African American, 23% Hispanic, 1% White.


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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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