Madison Elementary, 17 College St.: kindergarten to fifth grade, 592 students on the 2024-25 state report card, which graded it an A with 98 points.
Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, About Our School page, Class Schedule page and Our Team 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.
Madison Elementary, on College Street in the Madison Station Historic District, calls itself “the original Madison City School.” Its first building went up in 1936 on the site of the Madison Training School, chartered Feb. 25, 1895, and it has served as the town’s high school, junior high and middle school, according to the school’s About Our School page. Alabama graded it an A, with 98 points, on its 2024-25 report card.
Who to call
- Front office: 256-772-9255, 17 College St.
- School website: mes.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 | 17 College St., Madison, AL 35758 |
| Phone | 256-772-9255 |
| Grades | Kindergarten to 5 |
| District | Madison City Schools |
| Feeds | Mostly Journey Middle |
| State school code | 169-0085 |
Principal
Principal Wendy Pharo, according to the administration listing on the school’s Our Team page, which names Kelcie Thomas as assistant principal.
A short history
From the school’s own account:
- 1936: the original building opens with 11 classrooms, a banquet room, an auditorium and a gym, and serves as a high school.
- 1951: it becomes a junior high when 10th through 12th graders move to Butler High School.
- Dec. 7, 1972: grades nine through 11 at Madison are named Bob Jones High School; the charter class of 1974 graduates in Bob Jones’ new building.
- 1990: it becomes Madison Elementary when Liberty Middle School opens.
- 1999 and 2002: renovations turn the old gym into a library, and a new gym is finished.
The school is also home to the district’s Learning Academy for elementary students, its website says.
Enrollment and teachers
- State count: 592 students on the 2024-25 Alabama state report card, up from 559 on the 2023-24 card.
- Federal count: 603 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 39 full-time-equivalent teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 15 students per teacher.
State report card
Alabama grades every public school from A to F each year. For an elementary 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, 98 points. The 2023-24 card gave Madison Elementary an A with 95 points.
| Indicator | 2024-25 score |
|---|---|
| Academic achievement (ELA and math tests) | 97.34 |
| Academic growth | 100 |
| Progress in English language proficiency | 83.33 |
| Chronic absenteeism (lower is better) | 7.51% of students |
The full report card 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, Madison Elementary’s zone splits several ways:
- Most of it goes to Journey Middle. Most of that area then goes to James Clemens High, and the rest to Bob Jones High.
- A small area goes to Discovery Middle and Bob Jones.
- A small area goes to Liberty Middle and James Clemens.
The streets around the school are covered in our downtown neighborhood guide.
Bell times
From the school’s Class Schedule page:
- Doors and car line open: 7:10 a.m.; the car line ends at 7:35 a.m.
- School day: 7:40 a.m. to 2:40 p.m.
- Expanded Day: 2:40 to 6 p.m. each school day, closed on the district’s collaborative days and holidays
- Half days: elementary schools let out at 11:30 a.m., according to the district calendar
Calendar
Madison Elementary 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. 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
- Our history and landmarks guide
Frequently asked questions
What grades does Madison Elementary serve?
Kindergarten through fifth grade, according to the school’s website, which gives its enrollment as roughly 550 students.
What is Madison Elementary’s state report card grade?
Madison Elementary earned an A, with 98 points, on Alabama’s 2024-25 state report card, up from 95 points on the 2023-24 card.
Which high school does Madison Elementary feed into?
It depends on the address. On the district’s 2026-27 zone map, most of the zone goes to Journey Middle, which splits between James Clemens High and Bob Jones High; small areas go to Discovery Middle and Liberty Middle.
What time does Madison Elementary start?
The school day runs from 7:40 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. Students may enter at 7:10 a.m., according to the school’s class schedule page.
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