NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The wait is over for thousands of families hoping to get
their children into Metro's magnet and optional schools.
If you ask thousands of parents, the seemingly random numbers scrolling on
the overhead screen prominently displayed in the Martin Professional
Development Center hold the key to their child's future.
"I wanted the best educational experience for my children," parent
Lynette Boone said.
Boone wants her children to join the 20 to 25 percent of Metro students who
attend a school other than the one they're zoned for.
"My children are at a point where they need to be challenged," she
said.
Metro estimates about 5,400 students vied for only 4,000 spots in a lottery
for its optional schools.
"We're proud that, unlike a lot of districts, your zip code does not
determine where you go to school," Metro Schools spokeswoman Meredith
Libbey said. "What determines where you go to school is how you use this
choice process."
Nearly 16,000 applications were submitted.
"We saw a tremendous surge in interest for Rose Park," Libbey
added. "Meigs Middle School is always very popular, as is Head Middle
School, Martin Luther King High School (and) Hume Fogg High School."
This year, families had to rank their school preferences, to give more
students a chance at getting their first choice. Andrew Jackson Elementary
topped the list for the Boone family
"I might make a lot of friends and this school is going to make me real
happy," Boone's son Isaiah said.
"I visited the school. I talked to the principal at the fair that they
had, and I was just very impressed," Lynette Boone added.
For those who didn't get their first choice, there's still hope.
"We'll start pulling from wait lists in late February, and we will do
that about five more times through the fifth day of school and school starts
August first," Libbey said.
After months of waiting, there's relief for the Boone family because the
wait is over.
"I'm very excited about my choice today."
February 8th is the acceptance deadline. After that, schools will start
offering the open spots to students on the waiting lists.
Metro schools has provided more information, including selection results and
answers to frequently asked questions on its website: http://www.mnps.org/Page103950.aspx
