MADISON – The Madison City school board voted Thursday night to name the new elementary school Midtown Elementary. Their mascot will be the Wildcats.

“I am excited that Midtown Elementary will be the name of our new elementary school being built off Wall Triana by the Kroger development,” MCS Superintendent of Education Robby Parker said after the vote.”It is fitting in that it is a geographic identifier. Midtown is an accurate measure with all of Madison’s growth west and east and its alignment from both north and south.”

The new $34 million elementary school is being built on Wall Triana next to the Kroger grocery store, where site work has been steady progressing. A ground breaking ceremony was scheduled for Friday, but had to be postponed because of the weather.

Parker said that he chose the name from hundreds of suggestions by the community in a recent survey the school district conducted.

Because the students at West Madison Elementary will be moved to the new school once it is completed, Parker recommended keeping West Madison’s mascot, The Wildcats, for Midtown Elementary. “That is an appropriate way to honor West Madison’s history,” Parker said.

West Madison will be renovated and use as the school district’s Pre-K campus once construction on Midtown Elementary is completed in August 2021.

Parker also said site development will start soon on the new $49 million middle school, which has yet to be named. That school is being built behind the Central Office off Celtic Drive.

Madison residents overwhelmingly approved a 12-mill property tax increase in September to fund the construction of the schools, plus additions at Bob Jones and James Clemens. Work on the middle school could begin this spring for a projected opening of August 2022.