The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Westlawn Middle School
Westlawn Middle School serves grades six through eight as part of the Tuscaloosa City Schools district, located on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the city of Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa is a college town anchored by the University of Alabama, with a mix of residential neighborhoods, a downtown core lined with water oaks, and a significant industrial presence from the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in the county. The city has seen steady population growth and rebuilding after a devastating tornado, and the school district recently approved a major bond referendum to fund new construction and renovations, including a new Central High School building—a capital investment that will shape facilities across the district for years.
The student body at Westlawn is predominantly Black, with a smaller but notable share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of White, Asian, and multiracial students. The vast majority of students come from households with economic need, reflected in a free or reduced-price lunch rate that is very high. This level of economic disadvantage is an important context for understanding the school’s academic environment. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available, so a parent may wish to ask the school directly about the supports available for those populations.
Academic performance, measured by the state’s ACAP assessments in the 2024-25 school year, shows results that are markedly low. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient was a small single-digit percentage in each grade level. In English language arts, proficiency rates were higher but still modest, ranging around a quarter to a third of students depending on grade. In science, tested in eighth grade, about a fifth of students were proficient. Only one year of test data was available, so no trend can be assessed yet. Compared with other districts in Tuscaloosa County—a small set of just a few districts—Westlawn sits in the bottom quarter for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The school’s proficiency index is well below the midpoint of that county comparison group.
Because Westlawn is a middle school, it does not have a graduation rate or a high school exit measure, so that data field is not applicable. The school’s environment data, such as discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, course access, and staffing ratios, were all missing from the available records. A parent considering this school may want to seek out that information from the school or district to get a fuller picture of day-to-day conditions.
The housing market in the surrounding zip code area shows home values around the middle of the state’s range and rents that are somewhat elevated relative to incomes. A typical monthly mortgage payment would be roughly comparable to the median rent, and the overall price-to-income ratio is modest compared to national figures, suggesting that housing is relatively affordable for the area.
For a parent evaluating this school, the picture is one of a high-poverty middle school with very low test scores in math and below-average performance in reading and science relative to other schools in the county. The school is part of a district that has signaled a major commitment to upgrading its physical infrastructure through the recent bond measure, which may bring improved facilities. But the academic challenges are sharp, and a family would likely want to investigate what interventions, tutoring, or enrichment programs are available and how the school is working to raise achievement levels. The school’s website or the district office could provide additional details on instructional support, special programs, and the school’s own improvement plans.
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