The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Phenix City Intermediate School
Phenix City Intermediate School serves sixth and seventh graders in the Phenix City district, which sits on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River directly across from Columbus, Georgia. The city functions as a residential and commercial counterpart to its larger neighbor, and its economic ties to Columbus are strong enough that the community de facto observes Eastern Time despite being in Alabama. The district’s intermediate school draws from a city that a national business magazine once named the top affordable suburb for raising a family, and housing in the local market is notably more affordable than the national median.
The school itself is a regular public school with a sizable enrollment for a two-grade building. Its student body is diverse: a majority of students identify as Black, with a substantial White population and significant Hispanic and multiracial shares. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, indicating that the school serves a community with significant economic need.
Academically, the most recent state assessment results present a split picture. In English language arts, roughly half of students in both sixth and seventh grade scored at the proficient level. That is a meaningful share of students meeting the bar. In math, however, the numbers are much lower, with proficiency rates well below one-quarter in both grades. Science data is older and came from a different assessment, but it also showed a low proficiency rate at the time. When compared with other districts in Russell County, the school’s overall proficiency index places in the bottom quartile. The district has only two districts for comparison, so the range is narrow, but the position is clear.
There is no multi-year trend data available beyond a single year for the current assessment, so it is not possible to tell from the provided information whether these results represent a change from prior performance or a continuation of an established pattern. Parents who want to understand direction will need to ask the school directly about year-over-year progress.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to consider. Data on special education and English learner populations, chronic absenteeism, course access, staffing, and discipline were not available in the record provided. These are gaps worth noting; a parent considering the school may want to ask the school or district for information on those topics directly.
Phenix City Intermediate sits within a district that the available research shows has made few publicly reported recent changes that would be visible to a parent. The city itself has a riverfront with a recreation trail and an amphitheater, and the area has seen steady population growth over recent decades with a slight leveling off. Commuting across the river to Columbus is common, and the local economy includes manufacturing, the school system, higher education campuses, and proximity to a major Army base.
For a family trying to assess fit, this is a school where English language arts outcomes give a more encouraging signal than math, and where a large share of students come from low-income households. The setting is a mid-sized city tightly linked to a larger metro area across the state line. The gaps in available data mean that some questions about student support and school environment will require direct inquiry.
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