The following was posted on Madison City School's Webpage related to the new rezoning for Discovery Middle School, Liberty Middle School, Bob Jones High School,  and James Clemens High School:

APPROVED SECONDARY ZONING

1. There will be no rezoning of elementary schools this year. The zone lines proposed will only affect middle and high school students. In the near future we will have to address elementary rezoning to alleviate overcrowding at Mill Creek, and to make sure we are using all available classroom space. That rezoning could take place as early as next year, going into effect for the 2013-2014 school year.

2. The James Clemens High School/Liberty Middle School zone will consist of the entire Mill Creek and Heritage Elementary zones. It includes the portion of the Columbia Elementary zone that is west of Balch Road (Liberty Knoll, Stone Crest, Joe Phillips, Lexington, Buckingham, Walden Preserve, and Windsor Parke). It also contains the portion of the Madison Elementary zone that is south of Browns Ferry Road, west of Hughes Road, and north of Madison Boulevard (all of the Madison zone EXCEPT Oak Stone, Park Meadow, Shelton Station, Stratford Square, Colonial Lake, Edgewater, and Mountain Brook). 

3. The Bob Jones High School/Discovery Middle School zone will consist of the entire Horizon, Rainbow, and West Madison Elementary zones. It includes the portion of the Columbia Elementary zone that is east of Balch Road as well as the city of Triana. It also contains the portion of the Madison Elementary zone that is north of Browns Ferry Road (Oak Stone and Park Meadow), east of Hughes Road (Shelton Station, Stratford Square, and Colonial Lake), and south of Madison Boulevard (Edgewater and Mountain Brook).

This zoning meets many of our stated goals. It maintains a socio-economic balance between the two secondary zones. There are more students in the BJHS/DMS zone, leaving growth room at JCHS/LMS. It moves us closer to our goal of learning communities by allowing five of our seven elementary schools to send their students to one middle school. It eliminates many of the geographic concerns expressed by some neighborhoods. 

GRADE CONFIGURATION RECOMMENDATION

1. Next year’s seventh grade students (current sixth graders): All will attend middle school based on the new secondary zoning.

2. Eighth grade students (current seventh graders): Students living in an area where zoning is changing their middle school (was DMS but now LMS, or was LMS but now DMS) will have the option to attend their new middle school or to remain at their current middle school. This is a one-year option only. They must start their freshman year at the high school designated in the new zoning. New students enrolling in the eighth grade next year must follow the new zoning lines. *

3. Freshmen and sophomores (current eighth and ninth graders): All will attend high school based on the new secondary zoning.

4. Juniors (current tenth graders): All will be placed into high school based on the new secondary zoning. Parents of James Clemens juniors may submit a request to have their child placed at Bob Jones High School. *

5. Seniors (current eleventh graders): Seniors will be placed at Bob Jones High School. Students who reside within the James Clemens zone may request to attend JCHS. If we receive enough requests to populate a viable senior class we will honor those requests. *

I would like to emphasize that our plan is for James Clemens High School to open as a full service high school from day one. It will compete in varsity sports. The band will march, cheerleaders will cheer, etc. We will have a Madison City Course Catalogue that both high schools will use.

Bob Jones and James Clemens will certainly develop their own unique characteristics, but in the end our goal for both schools remains the same. We will strive to provide the very best educational opportunities for every single student in our district. We fully expect our students to go forward with the tools necessary to compete globally.

Thank you again for your input and support. If you have any questions or comments please email them to zoning@madisoncity.k12.al.us .

Sincerely,

Dee O. Fowler
Superintendent of Education
Madison City Schools

*Procedures will be developed and communicated.   The choice options apply only to current Madison City School students.