Magnet school plans detailed

• By DAVID J. MITCHELL
• Advocate Florida parishes bureau
• Published: Aug 29, 2008 - Page: 3B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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HAMMOND — Tangipahoa Parish school officials and backers renewed calls Thursday for business community support of a future tax to fund a school desegregation plan while revealing added details of the still-undisclosed and developing proposal.

Officials also reiterated that revival of a longstanding school desegregation case more than a year ago provides a chance to improve the education for all students while installing policies designed to further desegregate the school system.

Officials framed the issue in economic terms during the Hammond Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Tope La’s catering hall, saying the tax is an investment in the parish’s future.

“Do you want to have the opportunity to present yourselves to outsiders and say, ‘Look what we can do for you,’ ” and attract new jobs, asked Charles Patin Jr., lead board attorney in the desegregation case.

“Or do you want to say, ‘We’re not going to dig in our pockets, and we’ll just see what happens.’ ”

For months, school officials have talked about creating themed magnet programs to draw students to schools and desegregate them.

This spring,  school officials visited Rapides Parish schools, which used the concept to desegregate with Patin’s advice.

The Tangipahoa Parish system’s plan may involve several parts, including some that have drawn fire, such as possible attendance zone changes.

But Chief Academic Officer Melissa Stilley gave the chamber audience the clearest picture yet of what is planned educationally if voters back the parishwide tax proposal next year:

n  Montessori magnet: An entire pre-kindergarten to sixth-grade school would be devoted to the student-directed method of learning.

n International Baccalaureate program: Accelerated program would exist in an entire elementary and middle school that would feed into a program within a high school. Students would choose in their junior year whether to graduate with highly prized diploma endorsements.

n  Medical profession magnet: Program would exist inside a high school and be aimed at helping students prepare for jobs in needed medical fields. Students would receive heavy science and math study. School officials hope to work with North Oaks Medical Center in Hammond.

n  Art magnet: Entire high school would be devoted to emphasis on art, dance, theater, design and music. Art and music teaching positions would be expanded to other schools parishwide.