SUBSTITUTE RESOLUTION NO. RS2011-1620

A resolution requesting the Metropolitan Board of Public Education to provide at least one academic magnet school in each of the high school clusters.

WHEREAS, there are currently three academic magnet schools in the Metropolitan Nashville public school system: Hume-Fogg, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Meigs; and

WHEREAS, enrollment in the academic magnet schools is solely based on a lottery system where all qualifying applicants are put into a pool and the slots are filled by random selection; and

WHEREAS, more than 2,500 eligible applications were submitted to fill 618 available slots at the academic magnets for the 2011-2012 school year; and

WHEREAS, these academic magnet programs provide excellent educational opportunities for students, and consistently have the highest standardized test and ACT scores of all the schools in the Metro Nashville public school system; and

WHEREAS, the average ACT score for Hume-Fogg and Martin Luther King, Jr. was 26, compared to an average score of 17 for the comprehensive high schools; and

WHEREAS, given the discrepancy in test scores, it is obvious that students at the academic magnets receive a better education than their peers at the regularly-zoned schools; and

WHEREAS, given the overwhelming interest in the academic magnet program, providing one academic magnet school in each of the high school clusters would help more children in Nashville succeed; and

WHEREAS, the Board of Education in recent years has increased the number of “enrichment magnets” that are focused on specific topics or subject areas, but do not require any minimum academic standards for acceptance; and

WHEREAS, magnet schools cost the Board of Education less money than traditional schools because the school district does not have to provide student transportation and does not need to provide as many resources to address underachieving students; and

WHEREAS, providing additional academic magnets would reduce the number of quality students leaving the system for private schools, which would help increase the district’s overall test scores; and

WHEREAS, if the demand for an academic magnet school in a particular cluster is insufficient to justify the school’s existence, then additional enhanced academic opportunities should be provided at the zoned comprehensive high school.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as requesting the Metropolitan Board of Public Education to provide at least one academic magnet school in each of the high school clusters.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to Dr. Jesse Register and to each member of the Metropolitan Board of Public Education.

Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Eric Crafton