Madison School is located in the old Madison High School building. It was built in 1953 and used as a High School until 1984. At that time a new High School, Hunters Lane, opened to serve this community. The Madison School Special Education Program opened in 1995 to serve students with significant learning problems.

The building is over 90,000 square feet, and also houses offices for the Hearing Impaired, Speech and Language, Homebound, and Vision Special Education programs. The facility has more than adequate space for our program and also has an excellent gymnasium. A large cafeteria serves as the location for lunch and school activities. Cafeteria services are provided through Stratton Elementary.

Madison School is a safe environment for our students and staff. Cameras monitor activity in the hallways, cafeteria, gymnasium, and outside where students enter the school. New security doors have been placed on all school entrances. Madison School has a new security system in place. Students are no longer allowed to wear heavy jackets in the school building. Many of our students have been victimized at other schools due to the unique nature of their disabilities. Parents feel their child is in a safe and structured environment that minimizes bullying and other dangers. Of students surveyed 87.7% reported that they felt safe at Madison School.

As a part of the Metro Nashville Public School System, it presently serves approximately 87 students in grades K-12.  Our school hours are 8:30am. – 3:30pm.

The total years of experience among staff members are 207. The average years of experience of our certified staff are 13.8. Forty-six percent of our certified staff has more than 10 years teaching experience, 27% have 5 - 9 years experience, and 27 % have less than 5 years experience.  Fifty- three percent of staff members have a Bachelors degree. Thirty-one percent of teachers at Madison School hold graduate level degrees. Seven Percent of teachers hold a doctorate degree. 

Madison School offers reading, English, Mathematics, geography, economics, and life skills classes. In High School, classes are aligned with the Gateway curriculum (Biology, Physical Science, Algebra, English I and II). History and Geography classes are offered as well. Physical Education/Wellness and Art are offered as electives. Furthermore, Language! Reading program is offered school wide in addition to SRA. Because we are a self -contained special education school, there is little access to the general education environment for most students. Therefore, we transition approximately 10.2% of our high school students into at least one class at their zoned high school. Because we do not transition freshmen during their first semester in high school, the transition rate has been reduced 19.5 points from the previous year. We feel that having freshmen students wait a semester before transitioning ensures higher probability for success in the future. Furthermore, some students that normally would be considered for transition may remain at Madison due to safety concerns. Our transition rate will increase during the second semester. This should help us in preparing more of our students for a regular diploma.

Madison School receives group counseling from Centerstone. The Madison School art program participates in a cooperative art program with the Madison Community Arts Center. The high school participates has a transition program that allows students to be mainstreamed into regular education high school for one or more classes.

The Madison School PTO is highly active and supportive of the students and faculty. Parents serve on all of our school committees and the PTO board and membership meet regularly. They sponsor numerous activities to improve the school such as Hands on Nashville, School Work Day, school dances, talent shows, planting and maintaining peace gardens, and volunteering within the school to assist teachers. The level of involvement of our PTO has placed them in the top five PTO’s in the city for three of the last five years. The Madison PTO is involved in supporting fund raising efforts as well as providing assistance in covering cost that the school budget did not allow. They are very responsive to requests including direct hands-on assistance, behind the scenes assistance such as soliciting donations and responding with feedback needed to improve the school.

Madison students currently receive donations from Kroger, Target, and Snap-on tools. The Madison Art Center sponsors an Art Show in which Madison School participates. The Madison Kiwanis Club sponsors the Madison School Key Club. The Madison/ Rivergate Chamber of Commerce gave $5804.50 to the Madison School PTO for their part in the carnival fundraising event. Last year, Madison School donated decorations for the Senior Citizens dance.