Today marks the start of the year for Nashville’s public schools. But for the first time in several years, families on magnet school waiting lists still have a chance of getting in.
It’s not unusual during the first week for a school to find that some registered students will not be attending after all. For instance, a family may move during the summer without notifying the school district.
Five years ago, Metro Schools decided to close admission to magnets on the first day of the academic year, even if there were vacancies. Administrators insisted those first days were key for teaching students a new way of doing things in the specialized programs.
Parents of children on the wait lists complained loudly that the policy was unfair and unnecessary.
Now Metro is backing down from its previous stance. The district will continue to fill magnet school vacancies through Wednesday.
Admission to most magnet schools, and placement on their waiting list, is based on a lottery. Students at MLK and Hume-Fogg High Schools, and Meigs Middle must also meet certain academic criteria. Nashville School of the Arts chooses its pupils through an audition process.
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