Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School, a Marshall County Title–I eligible middle school in Grant, AL, serves grades 5–8 with 364 students and a student–teacher ratio of 17:1 as of 2023.
The school's overall ranking declined from #242 in 2010 to #539 in 2023, placing it in the top 50% of Alabama schools.
Math proficiency was 24%, lower than the state average of 30%, showing a downward trend from a high of 88% in 2012; reading proficiency was 51%, higher than the state average of 47%; science proficiency ranged from 40–44%, higher than the state average of 38%.
Enrollment stabilized near 364 students in 2023 after a decline from 442 students in 2016, while the percentage of students eligible for free lunch decreased from 52% in 2016 to 34% in 2023.
The student body is 90% white with minority enrollment at 10%, and the school employs 22 teachers supporting various learning needs without virtual instruction options.
- State rankings at Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School have declined substantially over the past decade, dropping from about the top 5% range to roughly the top 50% statewide. The school’s overall rank worsened most after its peak in the late 2010s before a partial improvement in the most recent year shown.
- Student-teacher ratio improved into the early 2010s and is now 1:18, while enrollment is relatively steady around the mid 360s (376 students reported for grades 5 to 8).
- The overall state rank currently sits around the top 50% range, down from about the top 5% a decade ago, with noticeable year-to-year movement rather than a perfectly smooth decline.
- Math proficiency has been lower than the state average for most recent years after a sharp drop from earlier highs, while reading and language arts proficiency has stayed relatively stable in the low-to-mid 40% to 50% range and sits around the state average level overall.
- Graduation rates are not provided in the chart summaries, but the school profile is clear: Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School serves grades 5 to 8 with 376 students and a 1:18 student-teacher ratio in Grant, AL.
Quick Facts (2026)
- Grades: 5-8
- Enrollment: 376 students
- Student-Teacher Ratio: 18:1
- Minority Enrollment: 12%
- Overall Testing Rank: Top 50% in AL
- Math Proficiency: 24% (Btm 50%)
- Reading Proficiency: 51% (Top 50%)
- Science Proficiency: 40-44% (Top 50%)
- Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AL Dept. of Education
School Overview
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School's student population of 376 students has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
The teacher population of 21 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Grades Offered
Grades 5-8
(No virtual instruction)
(No virtual instruction)
Total Students
376 students
Enrollment fell long-term from 1995 to the early 2000s, then climbed strongly to a high around 2012 before leveling off through the 2010s and 2020s; since 2020 it has slipped modestly, landing near the mid-360s in 2023–2025.
Total Classroom Teachers
21 teachers
Total classroom teachers is largely stable in the mid- to high-teen range from the mid-2000s through 2025, after a big earlier drawdown in the early 2000s and a smaller mid-2010s drop. The sharpest shift happened around 2011–2013, after which staffing settled and has mostly held steady, with a small dip in 2022 and a return to prior levels by 2023–2025.
Year Founded
1924
School Calendar
Campus Size
240 acres
School Motto
children be trained in the knowledge and practice of pure and noble citizenship.
School Rankings
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School ranks within the top 50% of all 1,275 schools in Alabama (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data).
The diversity score of Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School is 0.22, which is less than the diversity score at state average of 0.64. The school's diversity has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall Testing Rank
#539 out of 1275 schools
(Top 50%)
(Top 50%)
Overall rank shows a long-term decline from 2012–2021, with a noticeable slip after 2018, then a partial improvement by 2023. The school’s rank worsened most from the 2018 high through the early 2020s, but improved somewhat from 2022 to 2023.
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
24%
30%
Math proficiency rates show a major early shift: they were very high in 2012–2013, then fell sharply by 2014–2016 and stayed much lower through 2023, with a modest rebound in 2017–2018 and another rise by 2019 before dipping again.
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
51%
47%
Flat-with-disruption overall: Reading and Language Arts Proficiency at Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School sits in the low-to-mid 40–50% range from 2014–2022, after a very high level in 2011–2012 and a drop by 2013, then stays relatively stable through 2022.
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
40-44%
38%
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
17:1
Student-teacher ratio at Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School fell sharply from the mid-2000s into the early 2010s, reaching its lowest point around 2012–2013, then rose gradually through 2025. After that early improvement, ratios have been trending higher, but with no return to the highest levels seen earlier.
American Indian
2%
1%
Asian
1%
2%
Hispanic
6%
12%
Hispanic student percentage has been mostly steady at a low level since 2010, after a sharp dip from 2008 to 2012. Since 2017 it has edged up slightly, finishing at its highest point in 2024.
Black
1%
31%
White
88%
50%
Long-term rise with a recent, mild slip in White Student Percentage at Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School: it reached 100% by the early 2000s, stayed very high through the 2010s, then dipped slightly after 2016 and ends at 90% in 2024.
Two or more races
2%
4%
Two or More Races Student Percentage dropped sharply in 2014, then stayed mostly steady from 2015–2021, before easing down to a lower level in 2020–2024. The main change is the early 2014 low followed by normalization and a modest later slide.
All Ethnic Groups
Long-term decline in Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School’s Diversity Score Comparison ran from 2007 to 2014, followed by a long, lower plateau from about 2015 through 2025 with only a modest uptick in the last two years.
Chronically Absent Students
(22-23)12.8%
22.6%
Participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Yes
Eligible for Free Lunch
35%
53%
Long-term rise with a sharp shift in the early 2000s: Free Lunch Eligibility for Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School increased gradually from the late 1990s through the early 2010s, then jumped noticeably around 2018–2020; since 2020 it has leveled off in the mid-30s to low-40s range.
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
8%
5%
Reduced-Price Lunch Eligibility is volatile over 2000–2024: it was very high in the mid-2000s, then dropped sharply by the late 2000s and has mostly leveled off around the upper-single-digits since 2014, with a small bump back up in 2021–2022 and another slight dip by 2024.
School Statewide Testing
School District Name
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), AL Dept. of Education
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School's ranking?
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School is ranked #539 out of 1,275 schools, which ranks it among the top 50% of public schools in Alabama.
What schools are Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School often compared to?
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle Schoolis often viewed alongside schools like Guntersville Middle School, Kate D Smith Dar Elementary School by visitors of our site.
What percent of students have achieved state testing proficiency in math and reading?
24% of students have achieved math proficiency (compared to the 30% AL state average), while 51% of students have achieved reading proficiency (compared to the 47% AL state average).
How many students attend Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School?
376 students attend Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School.
What is the racial composition of the student body?
88% of Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School students are White, 6% of students are Hispanic, 2% of students are American Indian, 2% of students are Two or more races, 1% of students are Asian, and 1% of students are Black.
What is the student-teacher ratio of Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School?
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School has a student ration of 18:1, which is higher than the Alabama state average of 17:1.
What grades does Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School offer ?
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School offers enrollment in grades 5-8 (No virtual instruction).
What school district is Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School part of?
Kate Duncan Smith Dar Middle School is part of Marshall County School District.
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