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James Madison High School

Q: Is James Madison High School a good school?

James Madison High School ranks 1276 th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

1276^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,009 Texas High Schools

Better than 36% of Texas high schools

Summary

James Madison High School in Dallas, TX, is a comprehensive high school serving 349 students in grades 9-12 within the Dallas Independent School District (Isd), located in the southern sector of the city where over 97% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

James Madison presents a fascinating paradox: while its overall test scores in core subjects like Algebra I (35%) and English I (32%) lag behind state averages, the school has achieved remarkable success with its most vulnerable student populations. In the 2025-2026 school year, the school ranked in the 85th percentile statewide for its effectiveness with Special Education students—a massive leap from the 11th percentile just two years prior. It also ranks in the 67th percentile for English Language Learners. This turnaround is especially noteworthy given that James Madison is surrounded by some of Texas's highest-performing magnet schools, such as Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School (99th percentile) and School Of Science And Engineering (100th percentile), which likely draw many high-achieving students from its attendance zone. The school's overall rank has improved dramatically from the 8th percentile (2021-2022) to the 36th percentile (2025-2026), earning a 2-star rating for the first time in years—a rate of improvement not seen in comparable neighbors like Franklin D Roosevelt H S Of Innovation (22nd percentile).

A standout bright spot is James Madison's U.S. History proficiency rate of 82%, which significantly outperforms the district (71%) and state (70%) averages, and is 20 percentage points higher than Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet High School (62%). The district invests heavily in the school, spending $14,135 per student (compared to $9,771 at Irma Rangel) and maintaining a low student-teacher ratio of 11.8:1. This resource allocation has been instrumental in the school's recent turnaround and its exceptional work with Special Education and ELL students, though the challenge remains to translate this advantage into broader academic gains for the general student body.

349

Students ?

11.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,344

Per pupil spending ?

97.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3000 Martin Luther King Jr Blv
Dallas, TX 75215-2499

(972) 925-2800

District: Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

Feeder schools for James Madison High School:

Elementary:	Dr Martin Luther King Junior Arts Academy
	Oran M Roberts Elementary
	Paul L Dunbar Learning Center
Middle:	Billy Earl Dade Middle

Racial breakdown:

African American:

59.0%

Hispanic:

38.1%

White:

1.1%

See top rated Texas high schools

Compare James Madison High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 12th percentile in 2016 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Ranking is trending up — up 24 percentile points since 2016

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Texas average (52% vs 62% meeting standards)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!English I Reading scores 23 pts below the Texas average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school52%

District avg60%

Texas avg62%

1,276^th of 2,009

Texas public high schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 25 pts since 2016

From bottom 12% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Texas High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

26^th of 38High Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

441^st of 951Dallas Independent School District (Isd) among Texas districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	38.4	1276 of 2009	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	20.0	1616 of 1974	18.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.6	1656 of 1990	16.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.1	1753 of 1961	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	8.4	1732 of 1876	7.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	9.7	1697 of 1861	8.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.7	1561 of 1857	15.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	21.0	1458 of 1797	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	12.8	1547 of 1777	12.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2016	15.3	1553 of 1762	11.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	14.2	1546 of 1743	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	20.9	1474 of 1734	15.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2013	29.7	1286 of 1652	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2012	30.9	1257 of 1603	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2011	30.3	1435 of 1672	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2010	42.6	1191 of 1568	24.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2009	28.3	1315 of 1539	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2008	36.9	1162 of 1510	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	35.4	1153 of 1497	23.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2006	27.7	1195 of 1430	16.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2005	8.5	1353 of 1429	5.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2004	25.3	1241 of 1427	13.0%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	49.2	467 of 1086	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	35.1	507 of 834	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	23.8	807 of 1065	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.1	881 of 1069	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.1	885 of 1031	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.5	869 of 1020	14.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.1	678 of 1024	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2018	28.7	716 of 1013	29.3%	★☆☆☆☆

At Risk

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2022	14.2	1699 of 1837	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	16.8	1648 of 1829	9.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	24.7	1505 of 1810	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.4	1329 of 1784	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	55.1	391 of 1195	67.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	36.5	660 of 1153	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	36.5	803 of 1437	44.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	25.4	1025 of 1371	25.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	24.6	993 of 1278	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	32.9	811 of 1195	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.6	377 of 1136	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	67.5	177 of 1113	84.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	43.4	1089 of 1936	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.6	1105 of 1504	26.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.5	1600 of 1880	14.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	10.6	1680 of 1891	11.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	10.4	1657 of 1841	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	7.9	1687 of 1815	7.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	16.2	1562 of 1798	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.2	1519 of 1781	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆

Gifted and Talented

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	16.1	1128 of 1206	6.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	26.4	816 of 964	15.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	0.2	1175 of 1182	0.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	12.0	1086 of 1172	7.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	0.3	1169 of 1177	0.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	4.2	1120 of 1145	2.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	23.7	1024 of 1137	9.9%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	37.0	1212 of 1860	34.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	24.5	1147 of 1453	21.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	19.4	1514 of 1805	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.1	1628 of 1820	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	7.7	1649 of 1762	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	11.8	1581 of 1743	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.9	1501 of 1714	12.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	30.9	1230 of 1691	27.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	46.3	960 of 1937	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	27.1	1152 of 1513	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.9	1631 of 1884	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	12.9	1681 of 1897	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	11.2	1694 of 1847	8.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	13.1	1671 of 1848	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	22.8	1535 of 1818	15.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	1448 of 1794	19.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	1396 of 1954	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	17.7	1269 of 1515	16.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	12.9	1675 of 1891	11.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	9.5	1728 of 1913	9.7%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	7.0	1746 of 1853	5.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	10.2	1684 of 1840	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	17.5	1590 of 1824	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.3	1543 of 1803	14.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Texas percentile	Rating
2026	70.2	243 of 1581	84.6%	★★★★☆
2025	38.4	777 of 1299	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	19.6	1385 of 1548	10.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	19.9	1345 of 1478	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	19.7	1302 of 1418	8.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	28.7	1068 of 1382	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.3	1193 of 1357	12.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	26.2	1100 of 1347	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Special Education (2026)85th percentile+48 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)67th percentile+31 vs school

African American (2026)57th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)50th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)44th percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2026)35th percentile~ school

Male (2026)29th percentile-8 vs school

At Risk (2022)8th percentile~ school

Gifted and Talented (2026)6th percentile-30 vs school

By subject vs Texas (2025-2026) ?

U.S. History82%+12 vs state

Biology49%-22 vs state

English II Reading47%-13 vs state

Algebra I35%-19 vs state

English I Reading32%-23 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Madison High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				STAAR EOC Algebra I (2026)	STAAR EOC Biology (2026)	STAAR EOC English I Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC English II Reading (2026)	STAAR EOC U.S. History (2026)	STAAR Reading (2026)			STAAR Mathematics (2026)		STAAR Social Studies (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	STAAR EOC Algebra I End of Course	STAAR EOC Biology End of Course	STAAR EOC English I Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC English II Reading End of Course	STAAR EOC U.S. History End of Course	STAAR Reading 6th Grade	STAAR Reading 7th Grade	STAAR Reading 8th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 6th Grade	STAAR Mathematics 8th Grade	STAAR Social Studies 8th Grade	Total
James Madison High School	Public	9-12	3000 Martin Luther King Jr Blv	Dallas	75215	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-2800	349	30	11.8	97.1%	4 (1.1%)	206 (59.0%)	133 (38.1%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.6%)	38.4	1276^th of 2009 public high schools	36.5%		20	1616^th of 1974 public high schools	18.1%	340	35.4	48.9	32.4	47.4	82.0							$18,344
Irma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School	Public, Magnet	6-12	1718 Robert B Cullum Blvd	Dallas	75210	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-5200	604	35	17.5	79.8%	46 (7.6%)	29 (4.8%)	504 (83.4%)	13 (2.2%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.5%)	92.7	25^th of 2009 public high schools	98.8%		94.4	19^th of 1974 public high schools	99.0%	6	92.7	98.5	98.9	97.1	98.6	94.5	96.2	100.0	59.6	85.7	88.5	$9,587
Lincoln Humanities/Communications Magnet High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	2826 Elsie Faye Heggins St	Dallas	75215	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-7600	580	44	13.1	96.9%	3 (0.5%)	406 (70.0%)	160 (27.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.4%)	38.1	1285^th of 2009 public high schools	36.0%		24.3	1534^th of 1974 public high schools	22.3%	249	40.7	67.4	41.9	53.8	61.7							$14,816
Citylab High School	Public	9-12	912 S Ervay St	Dallas	75201	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 749-2702	150	9	16.0	81.3%	17 (11.3%)	25 (16.7%)	105 (70.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.0%)	46.5	1051^st of 2009 public high schools	47.7%		51	882^nd of 1974 public high schools	55.3%	169	71.4	73.9	52.6	47.1	61.5							$13,109
Uplift Atlas Prep High School	Public, Charter	9-12	4600 Bryan St Bldg 2	Dallas	75204	Dallas County	Uplift Education	Yes	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 821-7325	503	34	14.9	84.9%	4 (0.8%)	39 (7.8%)	456 (90.7%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	32.2	1433^rd of 2009 public high schools	28.7%		33.7	1306^th of 1974 public high schools	33.8%	127	47.6	56.0	43.1	51.8	53.2							$10,987
Dr Wright L Lassiter Junior Early College High School	Public	9-12	701 Elm St 1st Floor	Dallas	75202	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(214) 860-2356	293	15	19.5	86.7%	5 (1.7%)	25 (8.5%)	256 (87.4%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	94	15^th of 2009 public high schools	99.3%		95.8	9^th of 1974 public high schools	99.5%	6		98.0	97.2	97.5	100.0							$9,476
Innovation Design Entrepreneurship Academy	Public	9-12	4800 Ross Ave	Dallas	75204	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 794-6800	149	10	15.5	85.2%	9 (6.0%)	37 (24.8%)	99 (66.4%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.3%)	42.5	1173^rd of 2009 public high schools	41.6%		23.2	1554^th of 1974 public high schools	21.3%	381	33.3	84.6	41.4	33.3	78.1							$17,325
Woodrow Wilson High School	Public	9-12	100 S Glasgow Dr	Dallas	75214	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	No	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 502-4400	1,832	115	15.9	61.1%	507 (27.7%)	133 (7.3%)	1,136 (62.0%)	22 (1.2%)	5 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (1.5%)	49.7	952^nd of 2009 public high schools	52.6%		50.3	902^nd of 1974 public high schools	54.3%	50	20.5	64.7	59.7	60.5	71.3							$9,874
Franklin D Roosevelt H S Of Innovation	Public, Magnet	9-12	525 Bonnie View Rd	Dallas	75203	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-6800	720	48	14.9	97.6%	10 (1.4%)	262 (36.4%)	434 (60.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	9 (1.3%)	25.4	1569^th of 2009 public high schools	21.9%		16.9	1669^th of 1974 public high schools	15.5%	100	42.1	59.3	38.3	40.1	42.3							$14,515
School Of Science And Engineering	Public, Magnet	9-12	1201 E Eighth St	Dallas	75203	Dallas County	Dallas Independent School District (Isd)	No	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(972) 925-5960	505	26	19.4	65.3%	53 (10.5%)	37 (7.3%)	357 (70.7%)	47 (9.3%)	2 (0.4%)	2 (0.4%)	7 (1.4%)	95.2	3^rd of 2009 public high schools	99.9%		96.4	5^th of 1974 public high schools	99.7%	2		100.0		100.0	100.0							$8,154

Frequently Asked Questions about James Madison High School

Is James Madison High School a good school?

James Madison High School ranks 1276^th of 2009 Texas high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into James Madison High School?

James Madison High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Dr Martin Luther King Junior Arts Academy
Elementary : Oran M Roberts Elementary
Elementary : Paul L Dunbar Learning Center
Middle : Billy Earl Dade Middle

What district is James Madison High School in?

Dallas Independent School District (Isd)

What is the racial makeup of James Madison High School?

Students at James Madison High School are 59% African American, 38% Hispanic, 1% White.

How many students attend James Madison High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 349 students attended James Madison High School.

Rate James Madison High School!

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Latest Texas data All new data »

2025–26 STAAR, STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 12, 2026

2021–22 through 2023–24 school spending dataJan 10, 2026

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesSep 17, 2025

2024–25 STAAR EOC & STAAR Spanish test scoresJun 23, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Education Agency.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.