Eufaula City

Eufaula City Schools is a five-school district in Alabama serving roughly 8,421 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, including two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a large virtual academy, all situated in a high-poverty community where the district overall ranks in the bottom 14% of Alabama districts with a 1-star rating.

For parents, the standout traditional school is Moorer Middle School, which consistently outperforms the district across nearly every subject despite serving the highest-poverty population among brick-and-mortar schools. Its 6th-grade math proficiency (24%) is nearly double the district average, and its 8th-grade English proficiency (50%) approaches the state average. Eufaula Elementary School also shines in 3rd grade, with math proficiency (40%) nearly matching the state and English proficiency (58%) well above district norms—though this performance drops sharply by 4th grade. In contrast, Eufaula High School has seen a troubling decline, falling from the 55th to 32nd percentile in state rankings over two years, with a 17% chronic absenteeism rate that exceeds the state average. The Alabama Virtual Academy at Eufaula City Schools enrolls 72% of the district's students but posts the lowest test scores, including just 5% proficiency in 11th-grade math, while improbably reporting 0% chronic absenteeism.

District-wide, math proficiency lags state averages by 20-30 percentage points, and the graduation rate (81%) trails the state by nearly 11 points. Chronic absenteeism is a systemic issue at every traditional school, ranging from 12.6% to 17%, though the district's reported 3.3% figure is skewed by the virtual academy. Resource allocation also raises questions: Eufaula High School spends $12,543 per student—34% more than Moorer Middle School—yet shows weaker performance. The consistent proficiency gaps across all grades and subjects point to systemic challenges tied to poverty, but Moorer Middle School proves that strong instructional practices can overcome these barriers, making it the district's best bet for families seeking academic growth.