Grace M. James Academy of Excellence

What this school is

Named for Dr. Grace Marilynn James, the first Black woman on the University of Louisville School of Medicine faculty and a West End pediatrician, the academy opened in fall 2020 as the district's all-girls counterpart to W.E.B. DuBois Academy. The theme is STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts, and math — and students are called GEMS: Girls Excelling in Math and Science. The school's motto is One Crown, One Sisterhood.

It is open to girls of every background who live in Jefferson County. The student body has been predominantly Black since the first class. Curriculum work in the founding years has included African American history and sister-circle social-emotional groups. Purple lab coats are a school symbol tied to Dr. James's story.

How families get in

This is not a resides school. Living nearby does not assign a seat. Girls apply. The school's own admissions page describes a three-step process, and incomplete packets are not reviewed.

• Step 1: JCPS magnet application. The on-time window for 2026–27 was November 3–December 19, 2025. That window is closed.
• Step 2: Recommendation, submitted on an electronic form only, after the school emails you. No paper copies.
• Step 3: Interview / performance task. The school emails the link; founding-year language described a short video on school values.
• First-round notices have gone out at the end of February, per the school's own FAQ. Non-JCPS students also send records to the magnet coordinator.
• Who can apply: rising 6th-grade girls (and upper grades as seats open) who live in Jefferson County, open to all backgrounds.
• Families submit one magnet application, which may include up to two magnet school/program choices.
• Explore Pathways are for students who already attend; families do not apply separately for Explore.

If you miss the on-time window, check the late-application rules in the current Choices Guide. Late is not the same as on-time.

Who it tends to fit

Students

The cleanest published race file is NCES for 2024–25 (440 students, all female). JCPS site-based papers for 2025–26 show about 472 students (309 middle + 163 high). 2026–27 projections treat it as a combined campus of about 490 on an 893 capacity — under-filled, not crowded.

Gender: 440 girls (100%) Single-gender magnet; NCES 2024–25 headcount.

• JCPS 2025–26 allocation: 472 (309 middle + 163 high)
• 2026–27 projection: ~490 students / 893 capacity
• Free/reduced (NCES): 287 · 65% (248 free + 39 reduced)
• Economically disadvantaged: 61% (U.S. News snapshot)

Academics

Look at the Kentucky School Report Card first. Ranking websites do not all use the same year or formula, and they disagree.

• School banner figures: 39% proficient / 21% distinguished reading; 26% proficient / 7% distinguished math. Combined proficient-plus-distinguished is about 60% reading and 33% math.
• Reading sits above many JCPS middles in this series. Math does not.
• SchoolDigger has the statewide rank moving up, about the 53rd percentile in 2025.
• U.S. News listed reading performance well above expectations. Ask how STEAM looks in a normal week after the lab-coat ceremony.

Awards and recognition

• 2026 Nationally Certified Magnet School

  Magnet Schools of America, per school account, August 2026

• 2026 state track title

  Middle-school indoor track, recognized by Mayor Greenberg

• Explore Pathways

  Listed among JCPS Explore middle schools in the Choices Guide

Location and daily life

2020–spring 2026: 1615 West Broadway in Russell, the former Roosevelt-Perry Elementary building. Cramped, with no on-site track. That is the building in most existing news video.

For 2026–27: 3307 E. Indian Trail, 40213 — the former W.E.B. DuBois Academy campus. DuBois has moved to 4929 Poplar Level Road; the two academies do not share a building this year. A longer-term building on Terry Road in Pleasure Ridge Park was approved as a land purchase in 2025 and is not open yet. Confirm the current address with the school office before you set a commute.

Compare before you commit

• W.E.B. DuBois AcademyAll-male counterpart, now at 4929 Poplar Level Road, not Indian Trail.
• Academy @ ShawneeWest End campus with middle and high programs; different theme.
• Western Middle School for the ArtsWhole-school arts magnet. Application required.
• Noe MiddleDistrictwide magnet with a different culture and grade span.
• Highland MiddleAnother resides-area comparison for East End families.
• Barret / JCTMS / JohnsonTraditional magnets. Structured culture, application required.

Questions to ask on a tour

1. 1.Which door do we use in 2026–27 — Indian Trail, Broadway, or somewhere else?
2. 2.Confirm the door: Indian Trail is the former DuBois campus; DuBois is on Poplar Level.
3. 3.What does a normal STEAM week look like after the lab-coat ceremony?
4. 4.How does the three-step admissions file actually get scored?
5. 5.Which high-school grades are on campus this year, and where do 8th-graders go if they leave?
6. 6.Is there a track or a field at the new address, or is indoor practice still the plan?
7. 7.How are girls who are not Black supported in a school whose culture is built around Dr. James's story?

What to do next

1. 1.Read the current Choices Guide. Grace James is a magnet, not a resides assignment.
2. 2.If the on-time window is open, submit the JCPS magnet application first, then wait for the school's email on steps 2 and 3.
3. 3.If the 2026–27 window is closed, watch the next cycle and the late-application rules.
4. 4.Tour if you can. Ask about the current address before you leave the house.
5. 5.Complete the Transportation Verification form if you need a bus.
6. 6.If you are offered a seat, read the deadline on the letter. Magnet seats expire.