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Parent asks board to place student at school offering needed advanced courses; district to review lottery and administrative placement
Summary
A Smyrna parent asked the Rutherford County Schools board to administratively place his son at a school with required senior-level courses; the board asked staff to review the student's transcript and course options and to report back.
During public comment on Feb. 19, Terry Letterman asked the board to use policy 1.703 to administratively place his son at a school that offers the senior-level math and advanced courses he needs for college preparation.
"I believe we can all agree that all students deserve these opportunities rather than being denied access just because of their address," Letterman said, citing his son's academic record and ACT score above district and state averages.
District staff explained that administrative placements are handled case by case but follow completion of the district's choice-lottery process and that staff will review lottery results, seat availability and the student's transcript before making a placement decision. Staff also noted options that can include dual enrollment or off-campus coursework when schools do not run a particular course.
Board members encouraged staff to examine whether the studentor similarly situated studentscould be accommodated through existing options and asked for a follow-up report. The board did not take a formal vote on the request; staff said it would review the case and bring recommendations to the board at a subsequent meeting.
The exchange highlighted districtwide variation in advanced-course offerings and staff told the board they would provide more data on AP, dual enrollment and other advanced-academic pathways across high schools and middle schools.
What happens next: district staff will review the student's transcript and course availability, consider administrative-placement criteria in policy 1.703 and report back to the board with options.
