James Madison High School (Dallas)

History

The original Forest Avenue High School was constructed in 1916 in the style of Italian Renaissance architecture, in what were then fast-growing suburban areas of Dallas. The building is on the United States National Register of Historic Places on the basis of its architecture as well as its importance in the growing South Dallas community over the period ending with the close of World War II in 1945. In 1951 a junior high annex for grades eight and nine was constructed at the south end of the building. Beginning in the late 1940s, the demographics of the surrounding community shifted as large numbers of African-Americans moved into the area.

On June 14, 1956, the Dallas Board of Education announced that Forest Avenue High School would have its attendance zone redrawn to relieve overcrowding at the two existing "Negro schools," Booker T. Washington High School and Lincoln High School. In keeping with its existing policy on racial segregation, the school would be reassigned as a school for black students and the current white student body would attend Crozier Tech High School. The following day, the front page of The Dallas Morning News reported the criticism of the Texas Field Secretary of the NAACP, Edgar Washington, Jr., of the district's decision to turn over the school rather than to integrate. The paper also ran an editorial in the same day's paper applauding the school system for providing black students with an excellent facility while not violating state law by integrating the school. One week later, the paper reported a petition by "the Dad's Club [sic] and Parent-Teacher Association" of the school — with signatures from the student body — to request that the school's name, colors (green and white), and emblem (lion) be retired, with the colors and emblem remaining available to any future whites-only school that might request to use them. The principal announced at that same meeting that all Forest Avenue trophies and other memorabilia were to be transferred to Crozier Tech. The school reopened that fall as James Madison High School, though the district's faculty and staff had been prepared for possible repetition of the 1955 attempts of 24 Black students to enroll in five White schools.

Statistics

The attendance rate for students at the school is 93%, compared with the state average of 96%. 12% enroll in special education, 13% enroll in gifted and talent programs, and 4% are considered "limited English proficient."

The ethnic makeup of the school is 83% African American, 16% Hispanic, 1% White American, non-Hispanic, and less than 1% other races

Academic performance

In 2011 2% of the black students received a "criterion" or passing grade, as defined by the State of Texas, in SAT and/or ACT. No Hispanic students received criterion scores in the tests that year. In 2012 1% of Madison students made a passing score on the SAT. Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer wrote that the school performed poorly and did not deserve the "high esteem" it received in South Dallas. In 2013 there was a rumor that principal Marian Willard was going to be fired in light of the poor performance.

Athletics

The James Madison Trojans compete in the following sports in the UIL:

Notable Alumni

As Forest Avenue High School:

As James Madison High School: