Hayneville Middle School, Hayneville AL

Original Research by School Decision on Hayneville Middle School

Hayneville Middle School is a regular public school serving grades six through eight in the rural town of Hayneville, the county seat of Lowndes County in Alabama’s Black Belt region. It is part of the Lowndes County School District. The school’s enrollment is small for a middle school, and the student body is almost entirely Black, with a very small number of White and Hispanic students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the high poverty rates that characterize the surrounding community.

State assessment results from the 2024-25 school year show low levels of proficiency across all tested subjects. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency was modest in sixth grade, very low in seventh grade, and zero among eighth graders. In English language arts, about two in five sixth graders scored proficient, while about one in four seventh and eighth graders did. In eighth-grade science, roughly one in ten students reached the proficient level. Only one year of assessment data was available for this school, so no trend can be drawn. A parent may want to ask the school about the specific instructional supports in place, especially in math and science, where results are particularly low.

No data was reported on the number of students with Individualized Education Programs or English learners, nor on discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access. These are important gaps for any family considering the school; contacting the school directly is the best way to learn about special education services, class sizes, and the availability of electives or enrichment programs. Because the school serves only middle grades, there is no graduation rate to report.

Hayneville itself is a very small town with a declining population. Its early economy centered on cotton, and like much of the Black Belt it has struggled to build a more diverse and productive economic base. Employment today is concentrated in retail, wholesale, and food services, with county government likely a significant employer. The town is car-dependent and has minimal street life, centered on a historic courthouse square. The Lowndes County School District operates several schools in town, so students in the district attend elementary, middle, and high school within the same general area. No recent district-level changes or initiatives were found in publicly available sources, so families may want to inquire directly about any ongoing improvement efforts or program developments.

Hayneville Middle School sits in a context of significant economic hardship and declining population. The academic results are low across the board, and the data available is thin. Families considering this school should seek up-to-date information from the school itself about instruction, support services, and the overall learning environment.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 14% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 11 pts below state median

Grade 74%

School 4% · District 3% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 13 pts below state median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 3% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 641%

School 41% · District 36% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 14 pts below state median

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 34% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median

Grade 826%

School 26% · District 29% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median

Science

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 17% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median

This schoolLowndes County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income42%Higher-income0%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income0%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income0%Higher-income0%0 pp gap