The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on C J Donald Middle School
C J Donald Middle School is a regular public school in Fairfield, Alabama, serving students in sixth through eighth grade. It is part of the Fairfield City Schools district, an independent system within Jefferson County. The school is located on Valley Road in a city that was originally a planned company town for steel workers and has since become a predominantly residential, historically Black community that has experienced significant population decline and financial distress, including a city bankruptcy filing. The school’s enrollment is relatively small for a three-grade middle school, and it draws almost entirely from the local area.
The student body is overwhelmingly African American, with a very small share of Hispanic students and a tiny number of students from other racial backgrounds. There is no recorded white enrollment and no Asian or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander enrollment. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the school’s reporting.
State test results from the most recent year show that proficiency rates are low across all tested subjects and grade levels. In math, the share of students scoring proficient is in the low single digits for seventh grade and under a tenth for sixth and eighth grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates are higher than in math but still below a third of students at any grade level, with the seventh-grade rate the strongest of the three. In science, which is tested only in eighth grade, the proficiency rate is very low. Overall performance across subjects places the school in the bottom quartile relative to other districts within Jefferson County, a comparison that includes twenty districts in the county with proficiency data available. Because only one year of data was present, there is no trend to report.
The school’s tested grades mean there is no graduation rate to report, and chronic absenteeism data was also unavailable. The school does not have any special designation as a magnet or charter school. There was no information on course access, such as whether the school offers advanced or career and technical education coursework, though as a middle school it would not be expected to provide the range of pathways found in high schools.
Fairfield itself is a compact city that was once a thriving industrial hub but has seen a long contraction. Major retail anchors have closed, public bus service was terminated, and the city’s water board has faced financial difficulties. The area’s housing values are well below state and national benchmarks and have declined recently. The city’s schools, including C J Donald Middle School, are woven into the fabric of the community rather than set apart on large campuses. Miles College, a historically Black college, is also located in Fairfield.
Given the combination of low state test scores, a student body from a community under economic strain, and no reported data on school-specific supports like staffing ratios, discipline rates, or program access, a parent considering this school would want to investigate these areas further. The district did not have any recent major changes or initiatives publicly reported. The school’s value as a pathway will depend heavily on what happens inside the classroom that is not captured by the limited data available. A visit and a conversation with staff about academic support, enrichment opportunities, and how the school addresses the challenges of a high-poverty environment would be essential.
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