Schools in Zip Code 36442

Zip code 36442, serving the Florala, Alabama area, contains just one school: Florala High School, a public school in the Covington County district that serves grades 7 through 12 with 233 students.

Florala High School is a school on the rise. In just one year, it jumped from the 44th percentile to the 77th percentile in state rankings, moving from a 2-star to a 4-star rating. This dramatic improvement is driven by strong high school performance, particularly in 11th grade English (43.75% proficiency) and science (42.42% proficiency), both of which exceed state averages. The school also boasts excellent attendance, with a chronic absenteeism rate of just 7.8% compared to the 12% state average, and a solid 92.5% graduation rate that beats the state mark. However, the picture is not uniformly positive. Middle school math is a significant weakness, with 7th grade proficiency at just 16.67% and 8th grade at 20.59%—both far below district and state averages. This creates a clear split: the school excels in English and science at the high school level while struggling with foundational math skills in earlier grades.

For parents, this means Florala High School offers a supportive environment with strong attendance and improving outcomes, but it also highlights an area needing attention. The year-over-year volatility in test scores—such as 11th grade math jumping from 11.54% to 27.27%—suggests small class sizes where individual student performance can swing percentages significantly. With 56.22% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, the school serves a economically diverse population yet still achieves above-average results in several subjects. The key takeaway is that this is a school with momentum, but families with students entering grades 7 or 8 should be aware of the math gap and consider how the school's improvement plan addresses it. The district's stronger middle school math performance suggests resources exist that could be better leveraged at this school.