The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 33% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Midland City Elementary School
Midland City Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade and is part of the Dale County school system. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. The school’s enrollment is moderate for an elementary serving these grades, and a substantial share of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic context many families in the area navigate. Racially and ethnically, the student body is diverse, with a mix of white students and Black students as the two largest groups, along with smaller shares of students who are Hispanic, of two or more races, and Asian. Data on special education and English learner enrollment was not available.
Academically, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. On the state’s Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, results are available for third and fourth graders in reading, math, and science. In reading, the school’s scores are a clear strength. Across both tested grades, a strong majority of students met the state’s proficiency bar. This is a notably higher performance than what is typical for the district and the surrounding area overall. In math, the scores are more moderate. About half of fourth graders met the proficiency standard, while the share was somewhat lower for third graders. The math results place the school roughly around the middle of the range among Dale County elementary schools. Science, tested only in fourth grade, is a soft spot, with a smaller share of students reaching proficiency. A parent may want to ask the school about science instruction and how it builds toward later grades.
State testing data for grades before third is not available under Alabama’s assessment system, so there is no public academic achievement information for the pre-kindergarten through second grade classrooms. That is a gap any family with a younger child will want to explore by visiting and talking with teachers directly.
Midland City Elementary sits in a small, predominantly rural town about a short drive northwest of Dothan. The town is low-density and car-dependent, with a built environment spread along highway corridors rather than a walkable downtown. The original town was a planned railroad settlement, and that history frames the area’s character as a pass-through community. The workforce is spread across several sectors, with no single dominant employer. The town has seen gradual population growth in recent years, and housing values are modest relative to the national median, making this a more affordable area within southeastern Alabama. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent major changes to the school system that would alter a family’s calculus.
For a family considering this school, the reading results are a genuine draw and stand out in the local context. The math results are serviceable but not exceptional, and the science outcome is a place where the school likely has room to grow. Given the grade span, there are no graduation rate or secondary-level program metrics to evaluate; those would apply to the middle and high schools students move on to within Dale County. The school’s economic demographics mean it serves a community with real needs, and the absence of special education and English learner population data leaves a question a parent would want to clarify directly with the school. Midland City Elementary offers a solid early literacy environment in an affordable, small-town setting, but the math and science numbers suggest a family should look closely at how those subjects are taught and supported.
See more original research from School Decision →