District Superintendent Message 08/05/2026

Dear MCS Family,

Allow me to share a few updates with you about this new school year.

During the 2026-2027 school year, our Madison City Schools Child Nutrition Program will be able to offer breakfast to all our students at no cost. We are able to offer this opportunity through the Alabama Universal Breakfast Grant. This grant, made possible by the Alabama State Legislature, helps ensure students can begin each school day with a nutritious meal that supports their health, well-being, and academic success.

The Alabama Universal Breakfast Grant is currently funded for the 2026–2027 school year. A no-cost breakfast includes four components: a whole-grain entrée, a meat or meat alternative (such as yogurt or cheese), a fruit or vegetable, and milk.

To receive the meal at no charge, students must choose at least three of these items, including a fruit or vegetable. Any additional food items selected outside of the state-covered breakfast meal will be charged to the student's account through à la carte pricing. We are excited to provide this benefit beginning on the first day of school. We also extend our sincere appreciation to our Child Nutrition Program team, whose hard work and dedication make this program possible. 

I know you have seen construction taking place on multiple school campuses. Some projects, like the new Russell Branch Elementary, or extensive roof and HVAC work at Discovery Middle, are quite visible. Others, like elevator repairs, new paint and flooring, and other modifications inside buildings are less noticeable. As always, summer months are very short for this type of work but are the least disruptive to the school year. I appreciate our maintenance and custodial staff for their hard work to get areas that have been disrupted by construction back in order. Thank you to the countless community groups and staff that came during the summer and served our schools in cleanup programs.

Those who have children in the district know that car lines are longer the first few days and traffic is always a little heavier when we return to school. This usually eases up after the first couple of weeks of school. Please allot extra time to get through all the traffic. Your local school has all bus route information. I encourage you to use the GPS Parent Portal app for tracking your child’s bus in real time. Your school has all the codes and information needed to download the app to your device. 

I am very excited to have your children back in our schools on Thursday.

Elevate Excellence

Mr. Eric Terrell

Superintendent