Summary:
Madison County Schools is a small, largely rural district in western North Carolina with 7 schools serving roughly 2,063 students in grades K-12 across three elementary schools, one middle school, and three high schools. The district overall earns a 4-star rating and ranks in the 72nd percentile statewide, an above-average result made more notable by the fact that nearly every traditional school has a free or reduced lunch rate above 97%.
School-level results are uneven. Madison Early College High is the district's academic standout, ranking in the 79th percentile with 4 stars and exceeding state proficiency averages by roughly 20 points in Biology, English II, and Math I. The comprehensive Madison High School also performs at or above the state in every End-of-Course subject, with Math III a particular strength at 86.1% proficiency. Among elementary schools, Mars Hill Elementary is the strongest, outperforming the state in 6 of 7 test cells, including 3rd-grade math and reading. The biggest concern is Madison Middle School, which fell from the 76th to the 53rd percentile, driven partly by a 38.7% chronic absenteeism rate and an 8th-grade slump leaving math and reading below state averages despite strong 6th-grade results.
Brush Creek Elementary and Hot Springs Elementary have also seen notable declines, falling from the 77th and 83rd percentiles to the 52nd and 59th percentiles, respectively. Hot Springs is small enough that individual cohorts can create dramatic swings, so its recent drop should be interpreted cautiously. Madison Velocity Learning Center, a specialized alternative program with just 19 students and a 57.1% graduation rate, should not be compared with the comprehensive high schools. Most schools currently hold three stars, and the district's four-star overall rating is boosted substantially by its standout high school. The highest-leverage opportunity likely sits in the middle grades, where improving attendance and reversing the 8th-grade decline could have the greatest impact.
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