Date: Fri 17-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: AMYD

Quick Words:

school-magnet-board

Full Text:

Board Agrees To Help Plan Magnet School

B Y A MY D'O RIO

The Board of Education voted Tuesday to help plan a regional magnet school.

School Superintendent John Reed is accepting names of people who would like to

serve on the planning task force, which should begin meeting before the end of

the year.

The regional education service center, Education Connection, has received a

$30,000 state grant to get planning underway. Education Connection applied for

the grant based on the interest of the regional superintendents' association,

which has been toying with the idea for years.

Even though the district will help create a proposal to open a magnet school,

it will not be obligated to send children to such a school if it opens.

Once the proposal is created, each school board will decide whether it wants

to be involved with the school. The final choice, however, lies with the

parents. Enrollment is voluntary at magnet schools.

The planning task force will design the magnet school proposal; deciding what

grades it should target and what its theme should be.

Jane Tedder, executive director of Education Connection, said she hopes to get

the task force meeting in December.

If all goes well, the region will see a final plan by May or June, she said.

The magnet school proposal would then be submitted to the state for funding.

According to the grant, Education Connection hopes a magnet school would open

by September 1997.