Group feels MNPS re-zoning will negatively impact vulnerable communities
The Metro Nashville Public Schools school board approved a change that will impact Glencliff, Hillsboro and Antioch clusters.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Metro Nashville Public Schools school board approved a change that would move some students that are currently zoned for LEAD Cameron Middle School to Margaret Allen Middle School.
Some feel the change will impact the areas’ most vulnerable communities.
High school senior, Josephine Crocker, attended LEAD Cameron Middle.
“At Cameron the teachers are college focused and this allows students from minorities to have an opportunity for college.”
At MNPS' most recent school board meeting, Crocker detailed why she thinks the re-zoning will create a barrier for children with non-English speaking parents.
“Not zoning Cameron to these neighborhoods and schools would take away students access to a college focused school because non - English speaking parents cant understand its moving or its changing.”
MNPS said currently students from Fall-Hamilton, Glenview, and Whitsitt elementary schools are zoned to LEAD Cameron.
While Napier Elementary is currently zoned to Two Rivers Middle.
The change will re-zone all of those elementary schools to Margaret Allen Middle.
MNPS said the change is “to strengthen cluster pathways, align educational opportunities and support the growth of our MNPS community.”
The head of Lead schools, Dr. Ricki Gibbs II, feels the move doesn’t make sense.
“The students and families lose ultimately by rezoning them to a school that has not had academic achievement and the academic growth as Cameron only the students lose in that situation.”
Margaret Allen was identified as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement school in 2023 federally.
MNPS says students will still be able to choose to go to LEAD Cameron.
However, Dr. Gibbs II, thinks the move takes away what makes the charter school unique.
“It goes against the essence of the partnership what makes Cameron special is that Cameron is a zoned-charter.”
According to him, the schools’ 14 year partnership with MNPS has helped countless kids.
“It can show that when a traditional public school and a charter operator works together in partnership we can innovate things for our most needy children and our most vulnerable communities.”
These are just some of the changes that were approved at Tuesday’s school board meeting. The other changes will impact the Glencliff, Hillsboro and Antioch clusters.
The changes are set to go into effect next school year.
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