The top reported proficiency rate is 31% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Williams Intermediate School
Williams Intermediate School serves grades five and six in Pell City, a regular public school that fits between the district’s elementary campuses and Duran Junior High. With an enrollment that places it among the larger intermediate schools in the area by head count, it draws from across the Pell City community. The student body is predominantly white, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals, reflecting a community where many families work in retail, service, and the school system itself.
Academically, the picture is mixed and worth a close look. On the Alabama ACAP assessments for the most recent school year, reading and language arts results were notably stronger than math. In fifth grade, a solid majority of students met or exceeded proficiency in ELA; in sixth grade, just over half did. Math proficiency was markedly lower, hovering around a third of students in both grades. This gap between reading and math performance is a pattern a parent may want to discuss with the school, especially if their child tends to struggle in numeracy. The school’s overall proficiency index, which combines subjects and grades, places it at the bottom end relative to the two districts in St. Clair County that share comparable data. With only two districts in the county, that position is a straightforward fact: the other district’s schools posted higher combined proficiency.
Because Williams Intermediate covers only two grades, there are no high school metrics such as a graduation rate to report, and no state testing data for grades outside the 5-6 band. Program offerings data was not available, so it is unclear what elective or enrichment options, if any, exist beyond the core subjects. A parent curious about music, art, or career exploration would need to ask the school directly.
Pell City itself shapes the school’s context. The city sits on Interstate 20 between Birmingham and Atlanta, bordering Logan Martin Lake. It has grown steadily in recent years, drawing new residents along the I-20 corridor and to lakefront homes. Housing values in the area are above the Alabama average but below the national median, and rents are similarly positioned. The town’s economy historically centered on Avondale Mills, but that industrial anchor is gone; today the hospital, the school system, and lake-oriented recreation provide a base. The city is car-dependent, with schools spread across separate campuses rather than a downtown core. A property tax referendum passed recently to fund full-time art and music teachers for elementary schools, storm shelters, and sports facility upgrades, a sign of community investment in education.
On the district level, Pell City Schools operates under the Alabama Literacy Act, which since the 2023-2024 school year requires third graders to demonstrate reading proficiency for promotion. That policy does not directly affect Williams Intermediate’s fifth and sixth graders, but it shapes the feeder elementary experience and sets a foundation in literacy that the intermediate school builds on.
This is a school that serves a transitional two-year span, catching students after elementary and before junior high. For a family living in Pell City, especially those whose children are strong in reading but may need extra support in math, it offers a typical intermediate experience with the district’s broader investments in facilities and arts underway. The gap between ELA and math scores, and the relative position within the county, are the key points a parent would want to explore further with school staff to understand how the school supports students across subjects.
See more original research from School Decision →