The top reported proficiency rate is 57% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Charles Henderson Middle
Charles Henderson Middle serves only seventh and eighth graders in Troy, a small city in southeastern Alabama that functions as the Pike County seat and the home of Troy University. The school is part of the Troy City district. With a single grade band and an enrollment that is small for a two-grade middle school, the building sits at 800 Elm Street, within walking distance of the downtown square. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and while Title I status is not reported, more than half of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a community where economic need is prevalent.
The academic picture comes from the Alabama ACAP assessments, the state’s current testing program, and represents a single year of data, with no prior results available for trend comparison. The strongest showing is in English language arts, where just over half of seventh graders and a somewhat higher share of eighth graders met proficiency standards. Science, tested only in eighth grade, shows about half of students reaching proficiency. Math is a clear soft spot: roughly a quarter of both seventh and eighth graders scored proficient, a figure that a parent may want to discuss with the school to understand what interventions and supports are in place. Overall proficiency across all tested subjects and grades places Charles Henderson Middle on the lower end among the two districts that make up Pike County. Because there are only two districts in the county, “bottom quartile” in the comparison fact-set simply means the lower of the two, but the raw proficiency index confirms that the school’s combined rate trails the county midpoint.
Demographically, the student body is majority Black, with a substantial White minority and smaller shares of Hispanic, multiracial, and Asian students. The school enrolls about a hundred and twenty students in each grade. Data on students with disabilities and English learners is missing, so it is not possible to say what share of the population receives special education or language support services, and a parent should ask the school directly about those resources.
Troy itself is a stable, modest-sized community. The downtown square, with its restaurants, antique shops, and the Pike County Courthouse, is the traditional civic center, though Troy University occupies a separate campus that was relocated from downtown decades ago. Major local employers include the university, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft, and a Wal-Mart distribution center. The region is largely agricultural, with peanuts, poultry, and timber as traditional economic pillars. Housing is notably affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with home values and rents that are a good deal lower than the Alabama averages. The city has seen some population fluctuation in recent years, but the university provides a steady economic anchor. The nearest interstates are about forty miles away, and there is no passenger rail or fixed-route public transit described in available sources, so a car is essential for most families.
From the district perspective, Troy City Schools is implementing several state-level mandates that may matter to families. The Alabama Literacy Act’s third-grade retention provision is already in effect, requiring reading proficiency before advancement, though this does not directly touch a middle school. The Alabama Numeracy Act, phased in through the 2026‑2027 school year, mandates math screening and intervention in elementary grades, which could affect incoming seventh graders’ preparation. The statewide CHOOSE Act, creating education savings accounts for private school or homeschooling expenses, is a new option that could shift enrollment dynamics over time, but no district-specific bonds or referendums were found in the research.
For a parent considering Charles Henderson Middle, the school offers a small, contained two‑year experience in a city with a strong sense of place, affordable housing, and a university presence. The English language arts results are a relative strength, while math achievement is the area most in need of attention. The absence of data on special education and English learner services, along with the lack of information on discipline, staffing, and course access, means a family should plan to visit, ask about academic supports, and understand what programs are available for students who need extra help or who are ready for advanced work. The school is a straightforward, no-frills public middle school in a district that operates under the same state accountability framework as every other Alabama system.
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