Smith Middle School

Set in Birmingham, Alabama, Smith Middle School is a modestly sized intermediate school, operated by Birmingham City. It caters to 336 students across grades 6 through 8. By comparison, Alabama's public schools average about 508 students each, so Smith Middle School sits 34% smaller than that benchmark.

Birmingham City runs 43 schools in total, collectively educating 20,954 students. Smith Middle School is one of those campuses.

In terms of who attends, Smith Middle School logs that the student body is overwhelmingly Black (84%); the rest breaks down as 12% Hispanic, 3% multiracial. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 42%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, Smith Middle School has 16 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 21.0:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 17.9:1 average. Around 86% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is higher than Jefferson County's rate of about 52%.

On a residual basis (actual vs predicted given the student mix), Smith Middle School sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 21.3%; this one delivers 12.0%.

In the area at large, census data for Jefferson County shows median household earnings sit near $66,388, roughly 36% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 11% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Smith Middle School is one of 181 public schools in Jefferson County (combined enrollment of about 97,401 students).

The closest other public school is Huffman High SchoolMagnet, roughly 1.0 miles away. Counting just inside five miles, 8 other public schools cluster around Smith Middle School. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Smith Middle School at 9th of 9; the average score across the group is 40.2%.

Geographically, the school is in an inner-city area.

Looking at the recent track record. Smith Middle School's enrollment has fell 22% since 2018, when it stood at 429 (now 336). Black enrollment moved from 93% to 84% across the same window.

In the discussion threads here, posts here usually surface around pickup logistics, teacher feedback, and after-school programs. Parents, students, alumni, and staff are welcome to weigh in.