The top reported proficiency rate is 66% in English language arts. The lowest is 21% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Double Springs Middle School
Double Springs Middle School serves fifth through seventh graders in the small county seat of Winston County, Alabama, within the Winston County school system. It is a regular public school in a town that surrounds a traditional courthouse square and sits inside the William B. Bankhead National Forest. Manufacturing, retail, and educational services anchor the local economy, and the town has seen an influx of industrial facilities since the 1990s. The district brief turned up little in the way of recent administrative changes, so there is no notable shift in leadership or policy to alert a prospective parent about.
State testing data from the most recent school year gives a clear picture of academic performance across two subjects. In English language arts, the school shows a range of proficiency that depends heavily on grade level. The fifth-grade results are strong, with a large majority of students meeting the bar. Sixth and seventh grade scores are more moderate, settling at roughly half or just above half proficient. Taken together, the overall ELA proficiency lands at about two-thirds of students. In math, the pattern is different and much softer. Across all three grades the proficiency rates are low, with no grade reaching even a third of students meeting the standard. The gap between the two subjects is wide. Science testing data was available from an earlier year but was reported for eighth grade, which falls outside the school’s current grade span, so a parent who wants a science picture may need to ask the school directly for more recent results.
The neighbor comparison, which sets this school against the small number of districts in Winston County, places Double Springs Middle in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The comparison set is narrow—just two districts—so that ranking reflects a modest difference rather than a wide field.
Enrollment at the school is on the smaller side, with students spread fairly evenly across fifth, sixth, and seventh grades. The student population is overwhelmingly white, with a very small Hispanic presence and almost no representation of other racial and ethnic groups. Economic disadvantage is common: a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so a parent interested in those supports should follow up with the school directly.
Housing in the Double Springs area is below the national median home value, and also below the Alabama state median. That relative affordability aligns with the town’s rural manufacturing economy. The surrounding national forest and nearby Lewis Smith Lake offer recreational options, and the town has two parks with sports fields and a community center.
Double Springs Middle School presents a mixed academic profile for families to weigh. The language arts performance, particularly at fifth grade, is a clear strength. The math results are weak across all grades, and the school’s position within its small county peer group is at the lower end. For a family prioritizing a small-town setting and a school where the economic profile is largely working-class, this school fits. A family with a child who struggles in math may want to investigate what intervention or support is available, given the persistent low scores in that subject. The absence of data on staffing, class size, and course access means a parent should plan to visit and ask about those details directly.
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