MCS leads Alabama in National Merit Semifinalists

During a Central Office news conference, television cameras jockey for position as Dr. Dee Fowler reveals that Madison City Schools has the most National Merit Semifinalists of any Alabama district. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Madison City Schools has the impressive claim to the most National Merit Semifinalists of any school district in Alabama.

Superintendent Dr. Dee Fowler announced National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s report at a press conference at the Central Office on Sept. 9.

Madison boasts 35 National Merit Semifinalists — 24 at Bob Jones High School and 11 students at James Clemens High School. “That’s a 59-percent increase over last year. The phenomenal performance by Madison students can bring lucrative scholarship offers that mean huge financial savings for parents and students,” public relations manager John Peck said.

A National Merit Semifinalist easily qualifies for scholarships and admission to top-notch colleges. Madison City Schools ranks as one of America’s top producers of National Merit Semifinalists. Only 72 of 30,000-plus high schools across America had more National Merit Semifinalists than Bob Jones, and only 265 with more than James Clemens, Peck said.

Those statistics place Madison in the top one percent in the nation. Madison’s National Merit Semifinalists represent both middle schools and all elementary campuses. “The fact that these high achievers represent all sectors of Madison City shows a focus on every school, every student,” Fowler said.

The latest academic measures underscore the importance of investments in education. The “return on investment” is something Alabama lawmakers should realize in contemplating whether to take education money to address the state’s budget problems, Fowler said.

“We are proud of these numbers but more proud of all the work that went behind it,” Fowler said. “Our teachers and curriculum teams strive to send students into the world to be globally competitive. Ultimately, it is the students who made these achievements but they did so on the shoulders of those committed to education excellence.”

The news from National Merit Scholarship Corporation was released one week after national ACT scores put Madison City Schools comfortably above state and national averages. Madison’s 23.2 average compares to 19.1 for Alabama and 21 nationally.

In 2015, 57 percent of Madison seniors earned scholarships, which averaged $37,000 per student.