Summary:
Zip code 35761 in New Market, Alabama, is home to 5 schools within the Madison County district, serving grades PK-12 with a total enrollment of 3,425 students.
For parents, the standout is Buckhorn High School, which has earned 5-star ratings for three consecutive years and consistently ranks in the top 10% of Alabama high schools. Its 94.3% graduation rate and test scores that exceed state averages by 10-16 percentage points make it the clear academic leader in the area. New Market School is another strong choice, maintaining 4-star ratings and boasting the lowest chronic absenteeism rate (9.1%) in the zip code despite having a higher poverty rate than some peers. Moores Mill Intermediate School shows solid English proficiency, with 5th graders reaching 79.17% proficiency. In contrast, Walnut Grove School is struggling, with declining rankings, the highest free/reduced lunch rate (53.14%), and notably weak math scores—only 25.81% of 6th graders were proficient in 2025-2026. Buckhorn Middle School performs adequately but has the highest chronic absenteeism rate (17.8%) despite lower poverty levels.
A key concern is the proficiency gap as students advance: elementary English proficiency ranges from 65-83%, but drops to 49.51% at the high school level. Additionally, there's a spending paradox—Walnut Grove receives the highest per-student funding ($12,572) yet produces the weakest results, while Buckhorn Middle operates on the lowest budget ($8,221) and outperforms it. Science is a hidden strength across the zip code, with New Market leading at 70% proficiency in 4th grade. Overall, this district performs solidly, but parents should be aware of the volatility in year-to-year scores and the need for additional support during middle school transitions.
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