The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 12% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Saks Middle School
Saks Middle School serves students in grades five through eight in Anniston, a mid-sized city in northeast Alabama that sits in the Appalachian foothills and functions as the county seat of Calhoun County. The school is part of the Calhoun County school district and operates as a regular public school.
The most concrete picture of this school comes from the state’s ACAP assessments for the 2022–23 school year, which show a notable split between subjects. In English language arts, the share of students meeting proficiency standards ranged from roughly a third to just under half depending on the grade level, with fifth, seventh, and eighth graders clustered in the low to mid-forties and sixth graders somewhat lower. These figures place the school in a moderate band of ELA performance, giving a parent a sense that while a solid minority of students are on track, a majority are not, and the differences by grade may merit a conversation with the school about how support is layered across the middle years.
Math scores are markedly lower, with proficiency rates staying in the mid-to-high single digits in eighth grade and the low teens in fifth through seventh grades. This pattern is the most significant academic concern in the data; math achievement at Saks Middle School is clearly an area where families would want to understand what intervention, tutoring, or curriculum supports are in place. Science results, available only for eighth grade, show about one in three students reaching the proficiency bar, which is a middle-ground outcome in a subject that often tracks with reading and math foundations.
No enrollment or demographic data were available for this profile, nor were figures on economic disadvantage, special education, or English learner populations. That absence limits what can be said about the peer environment or the extent of student support needs. Parents considering the school may wish to ask the district or school office for that information directly. The school does not serve high school grades, so graduation rate is not applicable here.
The community context is one of deep affordability and modest scale. Anniston has a historical industrial and military base, with the Anniston Army Depot and the former Fort McClellan site hosting federal training centers. The city has seen population decline from its mid-20th century peak, and housing values in the area are well below national norms, making it one of the most affordable places in the country. Downtown Anniston has a Main Street designation and a rails-to-trails path, and the city adopted a comprehensive plan in 2022 to guide future investment. For a family, this means the school sits in a low-cost, slow-growth environment with a mix of civic anchors and industrial legacy.
The district brief turned up little in the way of recent parent-relevant changes, so there is no reported shift in programming, boundaries, or leadership to factor in.
Overall, Saks Middle School presents a clear academic profile centered on a significant math challenge and moderately stronger ELA results, set in a community that is both affordable and economically stable but not fast-growing. A parent would be best served by visiting the school to see how the middle-grades teaching team addresses the math gap and what enrichment or intervention options are available across subjects.
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