NICHE rates Madison City Schools no. 1 in Alabama
NICHE has rated Madison City Schools as the top district in the state. In the photo, students, parent volunteers and teachers work in the outdoor classroom at Madison Elementary School. CONTRIBUTED
Bob Jones High School, Discovery Middle School, James Clemens High School, Liberty Middle School, Madison, Madison County Record, News, Schools, Z - News Main
 By  GreggParker Published 
5:55 pm Thursday, December 29, 2022

NICHE rates Madison City Schools no. 1 in Alabama

MADISON – Reaching top grades across the board, Madison City Schools climbed to the number-one district in the state of Alabama in a recent study.

“Every single one of our schools was in the top 10, out of hundreds of schools statewide,” MCS Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols said. “This is outstanding and the result of true community and MCS districtwide efforts.”

The NICHE firm is a market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families. NICHE bases its findings on in-depth profiles of every school and college in America, more than 140 million reviews and ratings.

The report by NICHE placed Madison City Schools as the top system out of 138 school districts statewide. MCS is ranked 57th best of 10,571 school systems nationwide. Individual schools in Madison also rated in superior levels, all in the top tier, in the NICHE report.

The seven MCS elementary schools all landed in the top 10 of the school rankings: Mill Creek at third; Horizon, fourth; Heritage, fifth; Columbia, sixth; Midtown, eighth; Madison elementary; and Rainbow, tenth. Those results originated with 741 elementary schools ranked statewide.

Discovery Middle School placed first, and Liberty Middle School registered as fifth in 397 middle schools ranked statewide. James Clemens High School placed sixth, and Bob Jones High School received ninth out of 365 Alabama high schools.

Nichols said all residents of Madison can be proud of achieving these ratings.

“The straight-A performance by our schools affirms that no matter where one lives in Madison, they are zoned for a quality school,” MCS Public Relations Manager John Peck said.

“Certainly, administrators, teachers and support staff in our schools deserve much of the credit. They are where the learning happens every day,” Nichols said. “It’s also a reflection of the great parents and kids we have in the district and an administrative team and board that continuously looks for ways to improve.”

Nichols also credited the past and current school boards and community leaders for decisions that support an incredible curriculum for all students.

NICHE bases its annual evaluations using state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality and public school and district ratings, along with opinions from parents and students.

For more information, visit niche.com.

Also on The Madison Record
Huntsville launches inaugural Rocket City Space Fest
A: Main, Events, Madison County Record, ...
Maria Rakoczy 
July 8, 2026
HUNTSVILLE - Following America 250 celebrations, the new Rocket City Space Fest will celebrate Huntsville’s contributions to America’s space program. ...
New principal named for Columbia Elementary, other admin positions filled
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com 
July 8, 2026
MADISON - The Madison City Board of Education last week filled several school administrative positions, including Mill Creek Assistant Principal Kiley...
Bank Independent conducting annual School Share Drive
Business, Madison County Record, News, ...
STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com 
July 8, 2026
NORTH ALABAMA Bank Independent has launched its 13th annual School Share drive, which began June 29. This year’s drive will once again support local s...
Beat the heat with fun events at the Madison and Triana libraries
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
July 8, 2026
MADISON – With the thermometer exploding, the public libraries in Madison and Triana can provide cooler spaces and ‘cool’ sessions to learn and have f...
Heritage Elementary School urges parents to ‘build readers, build leaders’
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
Gregg Parker 
July 8, 2026
MADISON – No one can argue about the importance of reading for a child’s education. Heritage Elementary School is offering an easy-to-do set of daily ...
Gray well liked at Madison Elementary School as Staff Member of the Year
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
Gregg Parker 
July 8, 2026
MADISON – At Madison Elementary School, David Gray rarely, if ever, receives the spotlight, but let a problem with the plumbing or air conditioning ar...
Tabitha Sadler’s work ethic leads to ‘Staff Member of the Year’ at Rainbow Elementary
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
Gregg Parker 
July 8, 2026
MADISON – Her colleagues at Rainbow Elementary School have honored Tabitha Sadler as “Staff Member of the Year.” “It meant so much to me to hear that ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *