James Madison Preparatory School
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(History is the Teacher of Life)
| James Madison Preparatory School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Tempe, Arizona United States | |
| Coordinates | 33°22′12″N 111°54′38″W / 33.370016°N 111.910609°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Charter |
| Motto | Historia Est Magistra Vitae (History is the Teacher of Life) |
| Established | 2000 |
| Principal | Debra Caves |
| Grades | 6-12 |
| Enrollment | 130 (2024-25) |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Colors | Red, white, and blue |
| Mascot | Patriots |
| Website | http://www.madisonprep.org/ |
James Madison Preparatory School (abbreviated as JMPS) is a charter school in Tempe, Arizona, serving grades 6–12. Co-founded by brothers Stephen Batchelder and David Batchelder, the school opened in 2000, and will close at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
JMPS was founded by the Batchelder brothers to "challenge committed students with a robust, traditional education emphasizing America’s history and system of government."[1] It is a classical liberal arts school which seeks to promote understanding of American history and the United States Constitution.[citation needed]
James Madison Preparatory School opened its doors in the fall of 2000. Fifty-three students showed up on the first day. JMPS had received its charter from the State Charter Board in 1999, having received the highest score ever given for a charter school application up to that time. The first year only 9th, 10th, and 11th graders populated the campus, but by the second year, the school had grown to include 7th, 8th, and 12th graders.[citation needed]
The first graduating class at James Madison Preparatory School was the Class of 2002, which had four graduates. The largest graduating class was the Class of 2012, which had 31 graduates.[citation needed]
Academics
JMPS offers English Grammar, Civics, American History (one year in middle school and two full years in high school), World History, Geography, Algebra, Geometry, Astronomy, Economics, Biology, Latin, Chemistry, Calculus, Geology, Western Philosophy, Physics, Physical Education, Political Science, Fine Arts, Composition, and Literature. Also included in their curriculum are "self-reliance" classes designed to provide students with real world, practical life skills, including balancing a checkbook, living within a budget, paying taxes, shopping for insurance, cooking a meal, changing a car tire, and sewing on a button.[citation needed]
JMPS was ranked as an "Excelling" school in Arizona for the 2008–2009 school year based on AIMS test results.[1][2]
