Summary:
Zip code 35748 (Gurley, Alabama) is served by a single public high school, Madison County High School, which enrolls 451 students in grades 9-12 and is part of the Madison County district.
Madison County High School is a solid, above-average performer that has shown it can compete with the state’s best. In 2024-2025, the school ranked an impressive 12th out of 374 schools statewide (97th percentile, 5 stars), but dropped to 75th out of 380 (80th percentile, 4 stars) in 2025-2026. This volatility is reflected in test scores, which declined across all subjects year-over-year: math proficiency fell from 47.6% to 39.3%, science from 55.3% to 42.7%, and English from 51.0% to 36.8%. Despite these drops, the school still outperforms state averages in every subject, with math a clear strength (+12.1 points above state) and English a relative weakness—it trails its own district by 7.6 points in that subject. The graduation rate is strong at 94.0%, slightly above the state average of 91.5% but below the district’s 95.6%.
The most pressing concern is chronic absenteeism, which sits at 19.5%—well above both the district (14.3%) and state (12.0%) rates. This elevated absenteeism may be contributing to the recent academic declines. With 35% of students receiving free/reduced lunch, the school serves a moderate-poverty population yet consistently exceeds state benchmarks, suggesting effective instruction. The student-teacher ratio of 17.3:1 is slightly above typical recommendations, and per-student spending is $11,207 (2018-2019 data). For parents, this is a school with strong math and science programs, a solid graduation rate, and a track record of high achievement—but one that needs to address attendance issues and stabilize its year-to-year performance to return to its top-tier ranking.
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