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NicholsLawson Middle School

Summary:

NicholsLawson Middle School is a public middle school in Sylacauga, Alabama, serving 481 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Sylacauga City School District, which is ranked 49 out of 137 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

NicholsLawson Middle School has a relatively balanced racial makeup, with 49.69% White, 44.28% African American, and smaller percentages of other races. This diversity is notable compared to the nearby Zora Ellis Junior High School, which has a much higher percentage of African American students. Academically, the school has shown mixed performance, with White and female students consistently outperforming their African American and special education peers. While the school's English language arts proficiency is close to or above the state average, its mathematics proficiency, particularly in 7th and 8th grades, is lower.

NicholsLawson Middle School faces challenges related to its high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 68.19% qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is significantly higher than the state average and may contribute to the school's academic struggles. Compared to nearby schools like Evelyn D. Houston Elementary School and Childersburg Middle School, NicholsLawson Middle School appears to have a more balanced racial composition and slightly better academic performance, but all three schools face significant challenges in improving student achievement.


Detail:

Public 6-8

 1550 Talladega Highway
       Sylacauga, AL  35150

(256) 245-4376

District: Sylacauga City

SchoolDigger Rank:
171st of 442 Alabama Middle Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $9,574 Help


Students who attend NicholsLawson Middle School usually attend:

High:    Sylacauga High School

Feeder schools for NicholsLawson Middle School:

Elementary:    Indian Valley Elementary School
    Pinecrest Elementary School

Student/teacher ratio:  13.5 Help
Number of students:  434

Racial breakdown:

White:
50.0%
African American:
42.4%
Hispanic:
3.9%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  68% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details NicholsLawson Middle School ranks better than 61.3% of middle schools in Alabama. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.11. (See more...)
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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: White (50%), African American (42.4%), Hispanic (3.9%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 68% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at NicholsLawson Middle School is 13.5. (See more...)
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Compare NicholsLawson Middle School employs 32 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at NicholsLawson Middle School is $9,574.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

NicholsLawson Middle School:

SchoolDigger ranks NicholsLawson Middle School 171st of 442 Alabama public middle schools. (See NicholsLawson Middle School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
White students:


Sylacauga City:

SchoolDigger ranks Sylacauga City 49th of 137 Alabama school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for NicholsLawson Middle School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 46.98 212th 407 47.9%
2005 55.67 169th 415 59.3%
2006 59.75 150th 409 63.3%
2007 70.88 98th 412 76.2%
2008 67.41 111th 417 73.4%
2009 74.19 76th 425 82.1%
2010 64.58 147th 435 66.2%
2011 65.15 153rd 435 64.8%
2012 61.28 173rd 436 60.3%
2013 64.20 144th 436 67.0%
2014 60.95 143rd 438 67.4%
2015 56.50 165th 430 61.6%
2016 59.98 151st 432 65.0%
2017 56.03 172nd 432 60.2%
2018 51.48 206th 423 51.3%
2019 56.77 176th 437 59.7%
2021 63.32 131st 440 70.2%
2022 60.88 139th 432 67.8%
2023 57.73 162nd 437 62.9%
2024 56.11 171st 442 61.3%
See the entire list of Alabama Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 36.92 120th 195 38.5%
2018 26.13 181st 223 18.8%
2019 38.03 158th 254 37.8%
2021 55.32 83rd 274 69.7%
2022 35.83 166th 256 35.2%
2023 37.24 166th 281 40.9%
2024 33.30 198th 281 29.5%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 36.49 235th 349 32.7%
2018 33.48 280th 396 29.3%
2019 43.49 240th 396 39.4%
2021 51.00 194th 415 53.3%
2022 55.10 166th 421 60.6%
2023 39.05 249th 410 39.3%
2024 47.97 210th 437 51.9%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 58.07 141st 380 62.9%
2018 50.27 196th 392 50.0%
2019 56.15 162nd 399 59.4%
2021 64.04 115th 415 72.3%
2022 63.62 126th 423 70.2%
2023 63.53 125th 417 70.0%
2024 62.67 128th 426 70.0%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 50.41 180th 380 52.6%
2018 50.04 197th 397 50.4%
2019 55.73 169th 399 57.6%
2021 58.19 144th 418 65.6%
2022 54.64 164th 427 61.6%
2023 48.87 205th 419 51.1%
2024 48.36 204th 428 52.3%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 35.39 137th 205 33.2%
2018 39.89 131st 247 47.0%
2019 39.61 141st 252 44.0%
2021 45.33 113th 266 57.5%
2022 51.18 93rd 271 65.7%
2023 40.42 137th 263 47.9%
2024 47.67 112th 269 58.4%
See the entire list of Best Alabama Middle Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for White students at NicholsLawson Middle School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools AL State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2017 55.66 81st 247 67.2%
2018 56.76 114th 331 65.6%
2019 71.33 68th 343 80.2%
2021 77.00 55th 369 85.1%
2022 71.46 73rd 376 80.6%
2023 73.58 73rd 370 80.3%
2024 66.37 91st 373 75.6%
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.

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

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Enrollment information for NicholsLawson Middle School

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Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2004 319 222 1 1 3 n/a n/a 0 546
2005 329 231 1 1 2 n/a n/a 0 564
2006 332 224 3 3 1 n/a n/a 0 563
2007 319 218 3 6 1 n/a n/a 0 547
2008 329 193 4 7 2 n/a n/a 0 535
2009 341 209 3 10 3 n/a n/a 0 566
2010 324 233 2 8 2 n/a n/a 0 569
2011 356 226 2 7 1 0 0 0 592
2012 365 206 5 8 1 0 1 0 586
2013 388 194 5 11 0 0 0 0 598
2014 349 201 6 12 0 0 2 0 570
2015 343 178 1 12 0 0 3 0 537
2016 301 179 0 11 0 0 5 0 496
2017 315 182 0 8 0 0 7 0 512
2018 299 192 2 6 1 0 9 0 509
2019 269 201 1 17 1 0 9 0 498
2020 274 213 4 29 0 0 7 0 527
2021 275 224 2 29 0 0 10 0 540
2022 246 200 3 20 0 0 7 1 477
2023 239 213 4 20 0 0 5 0 481
2024 217 184 3 17 0 0 13 0 434

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 NicholsLawson Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 546 38.3 14.3 49.6
2005 564 40.0 14.1 50.2
2006 563 38.0 14.8 51.5
2007 547 37.8 14.5 53
2008 535 38.0 14.1 46.9
2009 566 37.7 14.9 50.4
2010 569 44.6 12.7 56.1
2011 592 43.6 13.5 55.4
2012 586 43.6 13.4 55.6
2013 598 39.6 15.1 56
2014 570 34.6 16.4 51.1
2015 537 34.0 15.7 55.1
2016 496 33.0 15.0 55.2
2017 512 30.6 16.6 54.1
2018 509 30.0 16.9 54.8
2019 498 31.5 15.8 57.6
2020 527 29.5 17.8 56.2
2021 540 29.0 18.6 54.6
2022 477 27.0 17.6 56.4
2023 481 31.0 15.5 68.2
2024 434 32.0 13.5 68

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 NicholsLawson Middle School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2004 546 38.3 14.3 49.6
2005 564 40.0 14.1 50.2
2006 563 38.0 14.8 51.5
2007 547 37.8 14.5 53
2008 535 38.0 14.1 46.9
2009 566 37.7 14.9 50.4
2010 569 44.6 12.7 56.1
2011 592 43.6 13.5 55.4
2012 586 43.6 13.4 55.6
2013 598 39.6 15.1 56
2014 570 34.6 16.4 51.1
2015 537 34.0 15.7 55.1
2016 496 33.0 15.0 55.2
2017 512 30.6 16.6 54.1
2018 509 30.0 16.9 54.8
2019 498 31.5 15.8 57.6
2020 527 29.5 17.8 56.2
2021 540 29.0 18.6 54.6
2022 477 27.0 17.6 56.4
2023 481 31.0 15.5 68.2
2024 434 32.0 13.5 68

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 NicholsLawson Middle School

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $1,586 (16.6%) $7,965 (83.2%) $9,574

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

Impact of COVID-19 on NicholsLawson 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 176th of 437 Middle schoolsRanks 162nd of 437 Middle schools
 3.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
6th Grade Mathematics (NicholsLawson Middle School)44.128.7
 15.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Sylacauga City)44.128.7
 15.4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)45.330.8
 14.5%
7th Grade Mathematics (NicholsLawson Middle School)49.421.6
 27.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Sylacauga City)49.421.6
 27.8%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Alabama)43.121
 22.1%
8th Grade Mathematics (NicholsLawson Middle School)44.420.8
 23.6%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Sylacauga City)44.420.8
 23.6%
   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 Students498481
 3.4%
African American201213
 6%
American Indian10
 100%
Asian14
 300%
Hispanic1720
 17.6%
Pacific Islander00
White269239
 11.2%
Two or More Races95
 44.4%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients57.6%68.2%
 10.6%

Schools Near NicholsLawson Middle School








Frequently Asked Questions about NicholsLawson Middle School

Students at NicholsLawson Middle School are 50% White, 42% African American, 4% Hispanic, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2023-24 school year, 434 students attended NicholsLawson Middle School.

NicholsLawson Middle School ranks 171st of 442 Alabama middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students who attend NicholsLawson Middle School usually go on to attend Sylacauga High School


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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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