NEWS

Carter-Lawrence to become countywide magnet under plan

Brian Wilson
brwilson@tennessean.com

A new Metro Schools zoning proposal would make Carter-Lawrence Elementary School a countywide magnet school and move some students from highly ranked schools to a new 12South elementary school.

New zoning plans and renderings for Waverly-Belmont Elementary School were unveiled at a packed community meeting Thursday night at the district offices. The elementary school is projected to open for the 2015-16 school year and be made up of students from Julia Green, Percy Priest and Carter-Lawrence elementary schools.

Under the proposed plan, Carter-Lawrence would become a non-zoned magnet school with a direct pipeline to Rose Park Middle School and Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School.

Edgehill students currently in that school zone would have the option to stay at Carter-Lawrence or move to Waverly-Belmont or Julia Green in Green Hills.

The Waverly-Belmont zone would extend from the current Carter-Lawrence zone west of Interstate 65 to Caldwell Lane and Glen Echo Road and reach as far west as the corner of Woodmont Boulevard and Lynnbrook Road.

Metro Schools Director Jesse Register said that the new zones were drawn to try to lessen overcrowding at Julia Green and Percy Priest while developing some levels of diversity at the new school.

“We tried to develop a plan that would not be adverse to any school in the area and still take advantage of a new facility,” he said.

Eakin Elementary School parent Laura Swanson was pleased, along with several other parents, that her school’s zone was largely kept in place. She was concerned, however, that Waverly-Belmont would lessen the diversity at some of the schools in the district.

“It’s disappointing that this plan leaves out some of the diversity in place,” she said. “It lessens the opportunities for some families.”

The proposal is slated to be introduced to the Metro School Board on May 13 and brought up for a vote in June.

Before then, school board member Will Pinkston said he hoped to receive additional comments and recommendations about how the plan could change.

Reach Brian Wilson at 615-726-5970 and on Twitter @brianwilson17.