Summary:
In zip code 35563, there is just one high school, Marion County High School, which serves grades 7 through 12 in the Guin, AL area with a total enrollment of 223 students.
Marion County High School is a school on the rise, showing a dramatic improvement in its state ranking from the 29th percentile (1 star) in 2023-2024 to the 84th percentile (4 stars) in 2025-2026. This turnaround is backed by strong year-over-year test score gains, particularly in 11th-grade math (jumping from 21.28% to 38.71% proficiency) and 11th-grade English (from 29.79% to 54.84% proficiency). The school's standout strength is English Language Arts, with proficiency rates well above state averages across all grade levels—8th grade leads at 74.36% proficiency. The school also boasts an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of 3.5%, far better than the Marion County district average of 11.0% and the state average of 12.0%, suggesting a highly engaged student body. Its graduation rate of 94.1% also exceeds both district (91.7%) and state (91.5%) averages.
However, there is a notable area of concern in 8th-grade mathematics, where proficiency sits at just 17.95%, significantly lagging behind the district (36.53%) and state (26.36%) averages. This is a stark contrast to the school's strong 11th-grade math performance and suggests a potential gap in middle school math instruction. The school serves a student body where 50.67% are eligible for free/reduced lunch, and it maintains a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 17.4. Despite these potential challenges, the school achieves above-average outcomes in graduation, attendance, and English proficiency, indicating that school culture and teaching quality may be playing a significant role in its success. For parents, this is a school with clear academic strengths in English and a promising upward trajectory, though 8th-grade math may warrant additional attention and support.
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