Russell Branch Elementary, 200 Madison Branch Blvd.: Madison City Schools' newest school, kindergarten to fifth grade, opened for 2026-27.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Sources: the school’s website, Our School page and Our Team page; Madison City Schools’ School Zones page, School Locator, board meeting records and 2026-27 calendar (PDF); and the Alabama State Department of Education’s report card site.

Russell Branch Elementary, on Madison Branch Boulevard in west Madison, is the newest school in Madison City Schools. It opened for the 2026-27 school year, and the district redrew attendance zones across the city around its opening. Its mailing ZIP code is 35756. The Owls’ colors are green and gray.

Who to call
Address 200 Madison Branch Blvd., Madison, AL 35756
Phone 256-289-2887
Grades Kindergarten to 5
District Madison City Schools
Mascot Owls (green and gray)
Feeds Mostly Liberty Middle; part Journey Middle

Principal

Principal Kristin Kolenich, according to the school’s Our School page, which lists Nathan Holmes as assistant principal.

Enrollment and report card

Russell Branch is too new for the federal and state counts used on our other school pages. The latest federal school directory, for 2024-25, does not list it, and Alabama’s latest state report cards, also for 2024-25, came before it opened. When the state grades a year in which Russell Branch was open, its card will be on the Alabama report card site under Madison City.

Alabama grades every public school from A to F. 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 and progress in English language proficiency, according to the Alabama State Department of Education’s report card rules. Every Madison elementary school earned an A on the 2024-25 cards, and the district as a whole earned an A with 95 points.

Attendance zone

The district 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). Families moving into new homes in west Madison should check the address on the district’s School Locator, titled “Madison City Schools Locator 2026-2027.”

On the 2026-27 zone map behind the locator, Russell Branch’s zone splits three ways:

The district’s School Zones page asks families with Limestone County addresses in the 35756 ZIP code to check that their home is inside the city school district. Our West Side neighborhood guide covers this part of the city.

Bell times

From the school’s Our School 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.
  • Half days: elementary schools let out at 11:30 a.m., according to the district calendar

Calendar

Russell Branch 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

Frequently asked questions

What grades does Russell Branch Elementary serve?

Kindergarten through fifth grade. The district’s zone map lists it as a K-5 school, and its staff directory lists kindergarten through fifth grade teachers.

Does Russell Branch Elementary have a state report card grade?

Not yet. The school opened for the 2026-27 school year, and the newest Alabama report cards, for 2024-25, came before it opened.

Which high school does Russell Branch Elementary feed into?

It depends on the address. On the district’s 2026-27 zone map, most of the zone goes to Liberty Middle and James Clemens High; the rest goes to Journey Middle, which splits between James Clemens and Bob Jones High.

What time does Russell Branch 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 website.