Discovery Middle, 1304 Hughes Road: grades 6 to 8, 1,058 students on the 2024-25 state report card, which graded it an A with 94 points.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, About Our School page and principal’s page; Madison City Schools’ School Zones page, School Locator and 2026-27 calendar (PDF); the Alabama State Department of Education’s state report card for 2024-25; and the federal NCES school directory for 2024-25.
Discovery Middle, on Hughes Road, is one of Madison City Schools’ three middle schools and the one that sends all of its students on to Bob Jones High. Alabama graded it an A, with 94 points, on its 2024-25 report card.
Who to call
- Front office: 256-837-3735, 1304 Hughes Road
- School website: dms.madisoncity.k12.al.us
- Enrolling or checking a zone: Madison City Schools Central Office, 256-464-8370, 211 Celtic Drive, and the district’s Enrollment page
- Buses: MCS Transportation, 256-774-4613, 217 Westchester Drive
| Address | 1304 Hughes Road, Madison, AL 35758 |
| Phone | 256-837-3735 |
| Grades | 6 to 8 |
| District | Madison City Schools |
| Mascot | Panthers (teal and black) |
| Feeds | Bob Jones High |
| State school code | 169-0082 |
Principal
Principal Kate Wade, according to the school’s principal’s page. The page says she began her teaching career at Discovery in January 2007, teaching eighth grade math and honors algebra. The school lists M. Sweatman as the sixth grade assistant principal and J. Hollingsworth as the eighth grade assistant principal.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: 1,058 students on the 2024-25 Alabama state report card, down from 1,061 on the 2023-24 card.
- Federal count: 1,054 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 67 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 16 students per teacher.
- The school’s own figure: about 1,050 students in grades 6 to 8, on its About Our School page.
State report card
Alabama grades every public school from A to F each year. For a middle school the 100-point score is built from students’ achievement and growth on state tests in English language arts and math, chronic absenteeism (the share of students who missed 18 or more days) and progress in English language proficiency, according to the Alabama State Department of Education’s report card rules.
2024-25 grade: A, 94 points. The 2023-24 card also gave Discovery an A with 94 points. Madison City Schools as a whole earned an A, with 95 points.
| Indicator | 2024-25 score |
|---|---|
| Academic achievement (ELA and math tests) | 89.92 |
| Academic growth | 100 |
| Progress in English language proficiency | 50 |
| Chronic absenteeism (lower is better) | 8.08% of students |
The full report card, with results by student group, is on the state’s report card site.
Attendance zone
The district redrew its zones for 2026-27. It held a public hearing on rezoning Oct. 27, 2025 (notice, PDF), and the 2026-27 rezoning map was an action item at the board’s Nov. 6, 2025, meeting (agenda, PDF). Check any address on the district’s School Locator.
On the 2026-27 zone map behind the locator, all of Discovery’s zone goes on to Bob Jones High. These elementary zones feed Discovery:
- Midtown Elementary and Rainbow Elementary, most of each zone
- Horizon Elementary, most of its zone; the rest goes to Journey Middle
- Columbia Elementary, part of its zone; the rest goes to Liberty Middle
- Madison Elementary, a small part of its zone
Bell times
School begins at 8:15 a.m. and ends at 3:20 p.m., the school’s About Our School page says. Doors open at 7:40 a.m., and students should not be dropped off earlier. The car line enters on the north side of the parking lot; buses use the south side, between the school and the senior center. Check-out ends at 2:45 p.m. On the district’s half days, middle schools let out at 12:15 p.m.
Calendar
Discovery follows the Madison City Schools 2026-27 calendar (PDF). Coming dates:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, schools closed
- Nov. 25-27: Thanksgiving, schools closed
- Dec. 17-18: half days; Dec. 18 ends the first semester
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 4: winter holidays; students return Wednesday, Jan. 6
- March 15-19, 2027: spring break
- Tuesday, May 25, 2027: last day for students, a half day
More
- The school’s website
- Every public school in Madison, with zones and report cards
- Our Madison schools guide for enrollment, the Board of Education and the district calendar
- The other middle schools: Journey Middle and Liberty Middle
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Discovery Middle serve?
Discovery Middle serves sixth through eighth grade. It is one of three middle schools in Madison City Schools.
What is Discovery Middle’s state report card grade?
Discovery earned an A, with 94 points, on Alabama’s 2024-25 state report card, the same score as on the 2023-24 card.
Which high school does Discovery Middle feed into?
Bob Jones High. The district’s 2026-27 zone map sends all of Discovery’s zone to Bob Jones.
What time does Discovery Middle start?
School runs from 8:15 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., and doors open at 7:40 a.m., according to the school’s website.
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