Monroe County High School

Monroe County High School in Monroeville, AL, is a public high school serving 302 students in grades 9-12 within the Monroe County district, a rural area where over 80% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

The most striking finding is a dramatic decline in academic performance during the 2025-2026 school year. After showing real promise in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025—when the school ranked in the 35th-42nd percentile statewide and earned 2-star ratings—the school plummeted to the 9th percentile and a 0-star rating. Proficiency rates in math (8%), science (8%), and English (11%) are now far below state averages (27%, 36%, and 34%, respectively). This volatility suggests the school's performance is highly sensitive to each incoming class, which can be a challenge for a smaller school. The most concerning trend is for low-income students, who make up the vast majority of the student body: the school went from performing at the state average for this group to the 7th percentile in a single year. Male students also saw a steeper decline than female students.

There is a silver lining: the school has shown notable success with its Special Education students, ranking in the 57th percentile in 2024-2025. This demonstrates the school has effective support systems that could be expanded to help other groups. Another point to consider is the disconnect between graduation and learning—while the graduation rate (86.5%) is close to the state average (91.5%), the low test scores suggest many students may be earning diplomas without mastering core academic content. With no other schools within 20 miles, this is the primary high school option for families in the area, making the recent decline especially important for parents to understand and monitor.