Summary:
The city of Toney, Alabama, is served by two public schools within the highly-rated Madison County district: Madison Cross Roads Elementary School (grades PK-5) and Sparkman Middle School (grades 6-8), together educating about 1,564 students.
For parents, the most important takeaway is that these schools offer a mixed academic profile. Madison Cross Roads Elementary is the stronger performer, ranking in the 46th percentile statewide and showing genuine strength in English Language Arts, where 3rd-grade proficiency (66.91%) exceeds the state average. Its math scores are below average but not alarming. In contrast, Sparkman Middle School presents a more serious challenge, particularly in mathematics. Only 7.83% of its 8th graders were proficient in math in 2025-2026, a dramatic drop from 6th grade (20.09%) and far below the state average of 26.36%. This "middle school math drop-off" is the single biggest red flag in the data. However, the middle school does show a positive trend in ELA, with proficiency rising from 40.65% in 6th grade to 53% in 8th grade, and it even outperformed state averages in 8th-grade science in a prior year.
Both schools share two notable concerns. First, chronic absenteeism is high—16.2% at the elementary and 17.5% at the middle school—well above district and state averages, which likely impacts learning. Second, both schools have seen their state rankings slip over the past three years, with Sparkman Middle falling from the 53rd to the 34th percentile. On a positive note, the elementary school enjoys a better student-teacher ratio (15.2:1 vs. 18:1) and higher per-student spending. While neither school is a top-tier performer, the elementary school provides a solid foundation, and the middle school's literacy strengths offer a base to build upon—but targeted math intervention and improved attendance are critical for future success.
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