5.5avg / 10

Birmingham City School District

School District · Birmingham, Alabama

Last updated: August 2026

Students: 20,884

Teachers (FTE): 1,118

Avg Rating

5.5

out of 10

Schools

27 elem, 8 mid, 7 high

Enrollment

20,884

Student-Teacher Ratio

18.7:1

Avg Rating

5.5

out of 10

Schools

27 elem, 8 mid, 7 high

Enrollment

20,884

Student-Teacher Ratio

18.7:1

District shortlistschools + peers

Evaluating Birmingham City?

A district shares budget, policy, and attendance zones across its schools — use this page to judge Birmingham City as a whole, then compare how its individual schools differ.

Compare schools Test scores Compare Mobile County

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Birmingham · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.

How this district compares

Alabama rank

#125 of 141

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

-1.0

below Alabama avg

Per-pupil spending

$16,201

+$3,393 vs Alabama median

District size

20,884 students

Much larger than Alabama median

The short answer

Birmingham City ranks #125 of 141 Alabama districts by overall school rating. Birmingham City's schools with real test data average 5.5/10 across 42 schools. Its top-rated schools are Oxmoor K5 (8.4/10), Richard Arrington Elementary (8.4/10), and Phillips Academy (8.3/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds

Oxmoor K5

Rates 8.4/10 despite 85% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.1 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Birmingham City schools.

Top-Rated Schools in Birmingham City

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (42 of 43). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#	School	Rating	Level	Value	Enrollment
1	Oxmoor K5	8.4 / 10	Elementary	+3.1	492
2	Richard Arrington Elementary	8.4 / 10	Elementary	+2.5	321
3	Phillips Academy	8.3 / 10	Elementary	+1.0	631
4	Oliver K5 School	8.2 / 10	Elementary	+3.1	349
5	Christian School	8.1 / 10	Elementary	+1.1	587
6	Epic Alternative Elementary School	7.9 / 10	Elementary	+0.2	293
7	Tuggle Elementary School	7.8 / 10	Elementary	+2.7	454
8	Hayes K8	7.2 / 10	Elementary	+2.4	672
9	Wylam Elementary School	7.1 / 10	Elementary	+2.0	383
10	Charles a Brown Elementary School	7.1 / 10	Elementary	+1.6	312

See all 43 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Birmingham City

Birmingham City is a Birmingham, Alabama school district serving 43 schools.The district educates 20,884 students with a student-teacher ratio of 18.7:1. District-level spending was $16,201 per student in fiscal year 2023 (NCES F-33).

With an average rating of 5.5/10, Birmingham City demonstrates solid academic performance.

The highest-rated school in the district is Oxmoor K5, which has a composite score of 8.4/10.

In standardized testing, Birmingham City students show an average math proficiency of 30.8% and ELA proficiency of 39.2%.

The district includes 27 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, and 7 high schools.

District Map

Schools in Birmingham City, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency30.8%

School

State

Not reported

ELA Proficiency39.2%

School

State

Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Birmingham City with test data.

Schools in Birmingham City

43 schools

Elementary Schools27

Middle Schools8

We Putnam Middle Schoolmagnet

2015.0

Bush Hills Steam Academy

4024.8

Ossie Ware Mitchell Middle School

3124.5

Green Acres Middle School

3264.1

Jones Valley Middle School

4473.5

Huffman Middle School

4402.6

Wilkerson Middle School

High Schools7

George Washington Carver High School

5443.7

Huffman High Schoolmagnet

Woodlawn High Schoolmagnet

7642.0

Jacksonolin High School

7581.9

Other Schools1

Bcs Virtual Academy of Learning

215—

District Details

State: Alabama
City: Birmingham
Total Enrollment: 20,884
Teachers (FTE): 1,118
District spending per student: $16,201NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate: 32.0%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year: 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Birmingham City?

Birmingham City has 43 schools in total — 27 elementary, 8 middle, and 7 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Birmingham City?

The average composite rating for Birmingham City is 5.5/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.

What is the district spending per student in Birmingham City?

Birmingham City's district-level spending was $16,201 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Birmingham City?

The average student-teacher ratio in Birmingham City is 18.7:1.

What is the top-rated school in Birmingham City?

Oxmoor K5 is the highest-rated school in Birmingham City with a composite score of 8.4/10.

What are the test scores in Birmingham City?

Across schools in Birmingham City with test data, the average math proficiency is 30.8% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 39.2%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Birmingham City compare to other districts in Alabama?

Birmingham City has an average school rating of 5.5/10 across 43 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in Alabama by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools?

MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.

District Averages

Overall Rating: 5.5/10
Math Proficiency: 30.8%
ELA Proficiency: 39.2%

Resources

🔍Search for District Website 📄Official NCES Data 🏫GreatSchools Profile 📍View on Google Maps

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

Other School Districts in AL

Compare Birmingham City with neighboring districts in the state.

See all districts in AL →

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Alabama Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.