Summary
James Clemens High School in Madison, AL, is a large, top-performing public high school serving 2,159 students in grades 9-12, and is part of the highly-rated Madison City school district. This school consistently ranks among the best in Alabama, placing in the 96th percentile or higher in 9 of the last 10 years, and currently sits at 14th out of 380 high schools statewide.
Academically, James Clemens excels across the board. In 11th-grade testing, 58.38% of students are proficient in Math, 63.01% in Science, and 55.15% in English—all significantly above state averages, with Math proficiency more than double the state rate. The school also shines in supporting all students, ranking #1 in the state for Hispanic students, #2 for English Language Learners, and #4 for Special Education students. This means your child will be in an environment where diverse learning needs are met with exceptional results. The graduation rate is a strong 95.8%, and the school achieves these outcomes while spending less per student ($9,387) than many nearby schools that perform far worse, such as Athens High School ($13,356) or Tanner High School ($13,280).
Compared to its closest rival, Bob Jones High School, James Clemens holds a slight edge in recent rankings (14th vs. 15th) and in Math proficiency. The contrast with schools in neighboring districts is even more striking—James Clemens vastly outperforms Columbia High School (ranked 309th) and Jemison High School (ranked 275th) in Huntsville, where Math proficiency is below 15%. The only area of concern is a chronic absenteeism rate of 11.2%, slightly higher than the district average, but this does not detract from the school's overall excellence. For parents seeking a school with elite academics, strong equity, and efficient resource use, James Clemens is an outstanding choice.
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