President James Madison High School (colloquially Madison High School) is one of nine comprehensive public high schools in the Portland Public Schools in the city of Portland, Oregon, United States.
History
Madison High School was founded in 1957 and named after James Madison, the fourth US President and co-author of the Constitution. The school serves neighborhood students and many transfer students in grades 9-12.
Two movies have been filmed at the school: Paranoid Park (2007) and Twilight (2008).
On June 29, 2004, the school was damaged by fire, probably caused by fireworks.
Madison is slated to be modernized as part of a $790 million bond measured passed in 2017.
Curriculum
James Madison High School offers a full range of college preparatory core content classes as well as unique elective options in the areas of mathematics, performing & visual arts, science, social science, and world languages. Students may challenge themselves by enrolling in Advanced Placement and dual credit courses. The latter are taught by Madison faculty who work in partnership with Portland Community College.
Athletics
Madison participates in the Portland Interscholastic League at the 6A level. Team sports include cross country, football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, swimming, dance team, wrestling and track and field. Madison athletics is most known for its baseball program, which holds the most state titles of any high school baseball program in the state of Oregon.
State championships
- Baseball: 1963, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1981, 1997
Students
The student population is 38.9% White/not Hispanic, 20.8% Black/African American, 19.6% Latino/Hispanic, 13.4% Asian, 2.2% Pacific Islander, 2% Native American, and 3.2% multiple.
Notable alumni
- Leslie A. Baxter - educator
- Craig Berkman - politician
- Kent Bottenfield - Major League Baseball player
- Paul J. De Muniz - first Hispanic Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court
- Rob Dressler - Major League Baseball player
- Terry Ley - Major League Baseball pitcher
- John Minnis - politician
- Billy Rancher - musician
- Rick Wise - first Major League Baseball pitcher to pitch a no-hitter and hit a home run in the same game