Families with children attending Metro Schools have the choice of sending their children to their neighborhood school or to another school in the district. The Nashville metropolitan area has more than 160 public schools available to them in their neighborhoods and nearby communities. To help families choose the right fit for students, Metro Nashville Public Schools recently held their annual School Choice Festival at the Nashville Fairgrounds.

For those interested in learning about their school choices, the festival is an important first step to choosing the right school. Families were given the opportunity to meet teachers, learn more about school programs, sign up for school tours and visit with over 103 schools.

“I’m a believer that parents ought to have a choice said MNPS Director Dr. Shawn Joseph. “We have a combination of 77 district schools and 26 charter schools present.”

“This is an annual event that the Metro Nashville public school system puts on every year,” said MNPS official Dawn Rutledge, MNPS marketing manager. “It allows all of our schools to come together on one day, under one roof, so parents and families and children will have an opportunity to see all of our diverse offerings in all of our schools.”

School choice gives parents an opportunity to pick the right fit for their child.

“Metro Schools offer a wide variety of unique academic programs, supports, and extracurricular activities in locations that span the city so that every student has access to the tools they need to be successful,” said a school official.

That means if a student has an interest in music, he or she may choose to go to Nashville School of the Arts because they have a unique curriculum that specializes in music. If a student has an interest in aerospace engineering, that student may choose McGavock because of its special program in aerospace engineering.

“We’re hoping that when we allow students to focus more on their interests, they’ll be more excited about being in school and student achievement will be much better,” said Johnson.

This year, the festival took place after the optional schools application opened. The 2018-19 school choice application process began January 10 and the deadline for applications is Feb 2.

On February 23, families will find out which schools their child was accepted at. There will be a waiting list for schools with more applicants than spaces.