The top reported proficiency rate is 29% in English language arts. The lowest is 3% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Bush Hills Steam Academy
Bush Hills STEAM Academy is a regular public middle school in Birmingham, Alabama, serving grades six through eight. The school’s name signals a focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, though no specific program details are available in the data. It sits within the Birmingham City school district, a system that has undergone recent consolidation and facility planning amid declining enrollment and aging infrastructure.
The student body is small for a middle school, with enrollment across three grade levels. The population is overwhelmingly Black, with a small Hispanic share and very few students of other races or ethnicities. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, indicating a high-poverty school community. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is missing from the records, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about special education and language support services.
On state assessments administered during the 2024-25 school year, proficiency rates were low across all tested subjects. In mathematics, the share of students meeting the bar was very thin in every grade; in English language arts, about one-quarter to one-third of students scored proficient, depending on grade level. Science results, available only for eighth graders, also showed a low proficiency rate. Compared with other districts across Jefferson County, Bush Hills STEAM Academy’s overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quarter of the comparison set, which included sixteen districts. Because this is the only year of test data provided, there is no trend to examine. The school serves only middle grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. Chronic absenteeism data was not available.
The local housing market in the school’s ZIP code is notably affordable when measured against national and statewide home values. Rents, too, are below the typical national level. This affordability means that families living near the school face lower housing costs than many metro areas, though the neighborhood’s economic context aligns with a student body that qualifies for income-based meal assistance at a high rate.
Birmingham itself is a mid-sized city that anchors a large metropolitan region. Its economy has shifted from heavy industry to healthcare, banking, and education, with major employers like the University of Alabama at Birmingham and financial firms. The city’s population has been declining gradually, and it lost its status as the state’s largest city in the last decade. Still, the metro area remains Alabama’s largest. The city has invested in civic amenities such as parks, a civil rights national monument, and cultural institutions. For residents, Birmingham offers a mix of historic neighborhoods, a walkable downtown core in parts, and car-dependent suburban-style development elsewhere.
The Birmingham City district, which oversees Bush Hills STEAM Academy, has been implementing changes that affect families. A consolidation plan approved in 2023 merges several schools and repurposes buildings, part of a response to enrollment decline and aging facilities. The district also opened a new Career Tech Academy in 2023, expanding high school pathways in healthcare, IT, and advanced manufacturing, though this directly affects high school students rather than the middle school level. Meanwhile, the Alabama Literacy Act has introduced retention requirements for third graders based on reading proficiency, and the district has responded with reading coaches and literacy programs. These district-level initiatives may indirectly shape the pipeline of students arriving at Bush Hills.
For a family considering this school, the picture is straightforward. Bush Hills STEAM Academy serves a high-poverty, predominantly Black student population in a district undergoing reorganization. Academic proficiency on state tests is low, especially in math and science, and the school ranks near the bottom among Jefferson County districts. The housing market is affordable, and Birmingham provides a range of regional amenities and institutions. Parents who want a clearer sense of program offerings, special education services, or the school’s STEAM implementation may wish to contact the school directly, as the available data does not cover those details.
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