Eastwood Middle School, Cottondale AL

Original Research by School Decision on Eastwood Middle School

Eastwood Middle School sits in Cottondale, a largely residential, car-dependent community in the eastern suburbs of Tuscaloosa. The school is a regular public middle school serving sixth through eighth grades and is part of the Tuscaloosa City Schools district. The student body is sizable for a middle school, and the vast majority of students come from low-income households, with a large share qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.

Academically, the school’s performance on Alabama’s state assessments is weak. In math, the share of students scoring proficient is in the single digits for each grade level, and in English language arts it is around a third or slightly below. Science proficiency for eighth graders is also low. Because only one year of assessment data is available, there is no trend to indicate whether performance is improving or declining. When compared with other school districts in Tuscaloosa County, Eastwood’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. A parent considering this school will want to look into how the school supports struggling students and whether there are targeted interventions in place.

The student population is heavily concentrated in one racial group: the overwhelming majority of students are Black, with a small Hispanic presence and very few white, Asian, or multiracial students. Data on the share of students with disabilities or English learners was not reported. That means families with children who need special education services or language support should ask the school directly about those programs.

Cottondale itself offers a sparse suburban feel. Most residents own their homes, and the housing stock is older, with many ranch-style houses from the 1960s and some subdivisions from later decades. The area is car-dependent; walking and biking are limited, and there is no real downtown. The main commercial corridor is University Boulevard, but most businesses there are industrial rather than retail. The nearest grocery stores require driving. Civic life centers on Gordon Davis Park, which hosts youth sports and community events. Major employers are outside Cottondale: the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance and the University of Alabama are the primary job centers that draw residents.

Growth and development in Cottondale appear stable, with no major new housing developments noted. Home values and rents are moderate relative to state and national benchmarks, making the area relatively affordable. The housing market is not a fast-appreciating one, but it offers a lower-cost entry point into the Tuscaloosa region.

The parent district, Tuscaloosa City Schools, recently passed a significant bond referendum that funds new construction and major renovations across the district, including a new Central High School building. That capital investment will affect school facilities and capacity for years to come, but it is not clear how much of that spending will filter down to Eastwood Middle School. Families may want to ask what improvements are planned for the school.

Because Eastwood is a middle school, there is no graduation rate to report. College readiness, Advanced Placement, or career-technical program offerings are not listed in the available data, which limits what can be said about academic pathways beyond the tested core subjects. A parent looking for a school with strong academic outcomes may find the low proficiency rates concerningikuha, and the school’s peer environment is shaped by high poverty. For families who value affordability and a quiet suburban setting with easy commutes to Tuscaloosa and Vance, and who are prepared to be active in supporting their child’s academic progress, Eastwood Middle School is a choice to investigate carefully.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 615%

School 15% · District 27% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 75%

School 5% · District 21% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 85%

School 5% · District 21% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 46% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 48% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 52% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Science

Grade 820%

School 20% · District 39% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolTuscaloosa City, 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-income33%Higher-income40%7 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income28%Higher-income39%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income34%Higher-income41%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income14%Higher-income16%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income5%Higher-income7%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income4%Higher-income7%3 pp gap