Hartselle Intermediate School vs. Austin Middle School

Serving 534 students in grades 5-6, Hartselle Intermediate School ranks in the top 20% of all schools in Alabama for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 20%, and reading proficiency is top 20%).

The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 45% (which is higher than the Alabama state average of 30%). The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 64% (which is higher than the Alabama state average of 47%).

The student-teacher ratio of 16:1 is lower than the Alabama state level of 17:1.

Minority enrollment is 12% of the student body (majority Black), which is lower than the Alabama state average of 49% (majority Black).

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.