Summary:
Schools in zip code 35773 (Toney, AL) consist of just two schools within the highly-rated Madison County district, serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, with no high school located in the immediate area.
For parents comparing the two schools, Madison Cross Roads Elementary School (PK-5) is the stronger performer, particularly in English Language Arts, where it exceeds state averages in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Its 3rd-grade English proficiency of 66.91% is a notable bright spot. However, math remains a weakness at the elementary level, with average proficiency around 37%. In contrast, Sparkman Middle School (6-8) shows a concerning "middle school math cliff" — proficiency plummets from 20% in 6th grade to just 7.83% in 8th grade, which is less than one-third of the state average. Interestingly, the middle school performs relatively well in 8th-grade science (47%) and English (53%), suggesting the issue is subject-specific rather than a general academic decline.
Both schools face significant challenges tied to socioeconomic factors. Over 58% of students at each school qualify for free or reduced lunch, and chronic absenteeism rates (16-17%) exceed both district and state averages. This combination likely contributes to the schools' below-average rankings — the elementary school sits in the 46th percentile statewide, while the middle school has declined to the 34th percentile. Despite the district's strong 4-star rating, these two schools lag behind other Madison County schools in nearly every subject, highlighting an intra-district disparity. The elementary school does offer a slightly better student-teacher ratio (15.2:1 vs. 18:1) and higher per-student spending. For parents, the key takeaway is that early literacy is a strength, but math intervention and attendance support are critical needs, especially as students transition to middle school.
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