MADISON – Madison educators swallowed their pride and pitted their cerebral savvy against elementary students in “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?,” sponsored by Optimist Club of Madison.

Madison Optimists have hosted the just-for-fun contest that they have adapted from Fox TV’s “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” game show. On the show, host and comedian Jeff Foxworthy leads fifth-grade students and an adult in a head-to-head round of questions that are comparable to that grade-level’s curriculum.

However, this year’s Optimist event at Horizon Elementary School took a twist with the panel of children in fourth grade instead of fifth — further adding to the adults’ chagrin.

Adult contestants were Madison Board of Education members Dr. Terri Johnson and Connie Spears; Judy Warmath, Coordinator of Elementary Instruction for Madison City Schools; and Jamie Hill, Principal of Columbia Elementary School.

These Madison educators competed against Horizon Elementary School fourth-graders Marjie Baumbach, Lauren Bruce, Tallulah Harlow and Kathleen Stephens. The youngsters “soundly defeated the educators by correctly answering 16 questions against the administrators’ score of 3.5,” publicist Vic van Leeuwen said.

“It’s always fun to see just how the city’s leaders stack up against our elementary students, just like on the famous TV program, especially when they’ve been prepared by Horizon gifted specialist Elizabeth Bero,” Leeuwen said.

“Members of the Madison Optimist Club were there to console the educators by noting that no adult in the past has ever done much better,” Leeuwen said. In past years, students competed against Optimist members, Madison Police Department officers and members of Madison City Council.

Optimist Club of Madison is a civic organization that conducts events that support Madison area’s young citizens in their effort to become productive members of our society. The club meets monthly on the first and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at Stevie B’s Pizza on U.S. 72, just west of Madison.

For more information about Optimist, call 256-772-8148 or 256-461-8787.