The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in English language arts. The lowest is 37% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Northport Intermediate School
Northport Intermediate School serves fifth and sixth graders in the Tuscaloosa County School System, a district that covers much of the area around Northport and Tuscaloosa. The school is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It sits in a rapidly growing part of the state, with Northport’s population climbing over the past decade, and new developments such as a water park and a sports complex reshaping parts of the city.
The school itself is of a moderate size for an intermediate campus. Its student body is majority white, with a sizable number of Black and Hispanic students, and smaller shares of Asian and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which gives a sense of the economic diversity within the building. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available; a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports.
On state assessments, the picture is split by subject. In English language arts, a strong majority of both fifth and sixth graders met the proficiency benchmark, putting the school in a healthy position for a core academic skill. In math, the proficiency rates were substantially lower, with about one in three students reaching that bar in both grades. This gap between reading and math is wide enough that a family should consider whether the school’s math instruction and intervention resources match their child’s needs. When compared with other districts across Tuscaloosa County, the school’s overall proficiency composite lands in the top quartile, but that comparison set includes only three districts, so the field is narrow and the advantage is relative to a small group.
The school is too young to have a graduation rate or to track chronic absenteeism in a way that allows meaningful comparison; those metrics do not apply to its grade band. State testing data covers only the most recent year, so there is no trend information to judge whether scores are improving or slipping.
Northport itself is a mix of a walkable historic downtown and more car-dependent suburban development. Many residents commute into Tuscaloosa for work. The city has a number of parks and cultural anchors, including the Kentuck Museum and Art Center and a heritage museum that recently reopened. The broader district did not have any major recent changes highlighted in available records, so the school’s daily operations appear to be operating under established routines.
For a family, Northport Intermediate presents a clear trade-off. Reading scores are solid, which is a real strength. Math scores are low enough that a parent should want to understand how the school supports students who are behind and whether it offers any enrichment or acceleration for those who are on track. The school serves only two grades, which means the transition from elementary and into middle school will each come in short order. The community around the school is growing and changing, but the district itself does not appear to be in the middle of major upheaval.
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