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
Volunteers needed for MVP’s Big Weekend of Service
A: Main, Events, Madison County Record, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – The work of volunteers will result in improvements around the city during the second annual “Serve Madison: Big Weekend of Service.” Madison...
Main Street Madison to kick off Third Thursdays next week
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
STAFF REPORTS staff@themadisonrecord.com 
June 10, 2026
MADISON - Did you know the 2026 Summer Solstice is June 21st and the longest day of the year? As it turns out, you don’t have to wait until the 21st t...
Blue Apple Books to host book club, crafts painting and author
Events, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – A widely diverse slate of activities will unfold soon at Blue Apple Books. “In April 2026, Blue Apple Books began a new store-affiliated boo...
Columbia team wins Science Buzz Club year-end tourney
Madison, Madison County Record, News, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – The Science Buzz Club at James Clemens High School wrapped its second year with a successful yearend tournament and promotion of STEM unders...
Angela Mason selected as “Teacher of the Year” at James Clemens High School
Madison County Record, News, Schools, ...
Gregg Parker 
June 10, 2026
MADISON – Angela Mason says she hasn’t received accolades during her teacher career. However, that situation has changed for her at James Clemens High...
Main Street Madison seeks public input in market survey
A: Main, Business, Madison County Record, ...
Maria Rakoczy 
June 3, 2026
MADISON - Main Street Madison (MSM) is asking for feedback from Madison residents in a market survey that could determine future businesses in downtow...
City council approves Madison Inn and Suites demolition
A: Main, Madison County Record, News, ...
Maria Rakoczy 
June 3, 2026
MADISON - The Madison City Council approved the demolition of Madison Inn & Suites located at 8716 Madison Boulevard at last week’s city council meeti...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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