The brief
A Lee County middle school serving grades 5th – 8th.
Students at Sanford Middle School score 36% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 37%).
It ranks 1,003 of 1,360 schools in Alabama and 14 of 14 in Lee County.
- 202636%
- 202539%
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 41% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 52% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
- Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
- MySchoolScout rating and rank
- MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
- Math proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Reading/ELA proficiency
- State department of education · 2026 ACAP · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: 2026 ACAP. A newer release may be available.
- Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
- Student progress (growth)
- State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
- Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
- U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
- Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
- Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 36804; this does not measure the attendance area.
- Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
- CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
- Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
- Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.
Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.The area
- Median income
- $57,842
- Median home value
- $178,100
- Median rent
- $802/mo
- College educated
- 32%
- Homeownership
- 76.2%
- Poverty rate
- 12.5%
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 36804; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.
Getting around
- Walk Score
- 3
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 12
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 2,443/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Opelika. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Opelika), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Programs
- Gifted and talented
- Available
- A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Who goes here
- Free or reduced lunch
- 73.8%
- Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Sanford Middle School serve?
Sanford Middle School serves students in grades 5th through 8th.
How many students attend Sanford Middle School?
Sanford Middle School has an enrollment of approximately 545 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle School?
The student-teacher ratio at Sanford Middle School is 16.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.
How does Sanford Middle School rank in AL?
Sanford Middle School ranks #1,003 of 1,360 schools in AL.
What is Sanford Middle School's MySchoolScout rating?
Sanford Middle School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.3 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.
What are the test scores at Sanford Middle School?
Based on loaded state assessment records, Sanford Middle School has 41% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 52% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).
Is Sanford Middle School a charter school?
No, Sanford Middle School is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.
Is Sanford Middle School a Title I school?
No, Sanford Middle School is not currently a Title I school.
What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Sanford Middle School?
73.8% of students at Sanford Middle School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.
School facts
- Grades
- 5th – 8th
- Enrollment
- 545
- Student-teacher ratio
- 16.5:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 33
- Type
- Regular
- Title I
- No
- Setting
- Fringe Rural
- County
- Lee County
- Phone
- (334) 705-6040
- Rank in district
- #14 of 14
- Schools in district
- 14
- District spending per student
- $12,566
- NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- District child poverty rate
- 13.7%
- Census SAIPE · 2024
- Area population (ZIP 36804)
- 19,469
- Area average commute
- 26.8 min
- Area median age
- 39.6
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).
Related reading
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.