MADISON (WMSN) -- Whether it's algebra scores, or attendance figures, there's a notable difference between white students and minorities in the Madison Metropolitan School District.



Those disparities were mentioned Monday night, during the State of the District address, where school leaders talked about closing the gap.



Before Superintendent Daniel Nerad took to the podium at Wright Middle School, Madison students and their parents praised the district's efforts to recognize and celebrate diversity.



"Since I arrived in Madison at age 10, not able to speak English, I never thought I could've succeeded in some of the most rigorous courses this district has to offer," said 12th grader Jeanet Ugalde.



"No one is refused due to race, color, or creed. Everybody is important here," said parent Kimberly Lee. "Parents' input are held in high regard."



While many consider MMSD's diversity as a major strength, it's also a place where many educational challenges lie. Some learning gaps between white and minority students are as high as 42 percentage points (Geometry -- whites vs. African Americans).



And then there's the socio-economic changes.



The number of low-income students nearly doubled over the last 10 years. Almost half (47%) of all students in the district come from low income families.



"It's with the understanding we have a lot of pride in this work, but it's also with the understanding that we have a lot of important plans we have to focus on and a lot of commitments, new and some of them old commitments, that we're gonna need to address," said Superintendent Nerad.



Whether math or manners -- it means taking nothing for granted.



"We no longer assume kids come to school knowing about school, knowing exactly how to behave, knowing how to line up, knowing how to do a number of things," said Assistant Superintendent Pam Nash.



Monday's speech also highlighted several successes.



Madison students scored higher than their Wisconsin peers in 13 of 15 performance tests. Madison students scored 13 per cent higher on the ACT college entrance exam, than most student in the U.S.



Nerad called 2010 an important transition year -- not only is it the beginning of a new decade, but a time when several new programs are getting underway.



The school board recently approved a new strategic plan for the future, and workshops to improve math, music and art classes.



President Obama's Race-to-the-Top program, and the potential for millions of dollars for education, will likely be a top proirity as well.



All the pieces seem to be coming together for MMSD, to reap some of the $4.5 billion dollars the president put up for grabs.



New laws tying student test scores to teacher performance were signed this year, and 4-year-old kindergarten is on the horizon.



This comes at a time when Madison schools could really use the boost in funding.



The state of Wisconsin recently slashed state by 15 per cent for MMSD, and Superintendent Nerad has said on many occasions, there needs to be a change in the state's funding formula, which is forcing schools to go back to the chopping block year after year.



Another issue facing the district will be finding a way to pay for the recently approved 4-year-old kindergarten program.



Classes won't begin until Fall of 2011, but in a time of tight budget constraints, school board members may be pressed to work out all the money details earlier rather than later.



Another priority for MMSD is cutting down on the number of absentee students. The district began a campaign last year called, "Attendance Matters!" and it seems to be working. Through emails, flyers and increased staff awareness, the habitual truancy rate dropped 1.6%.



Wisconsin is also getting some money from the U.S. government to crack down on truancy in middle schools. The state is getting $1 million. It's part of th $1.1 trillion federal spending bill.



MMSD is home to more than 24,295 students, and 2,570 teachers.

MMSD State of the District address