LONGVIEW — With the 1970 court-ordered desegregation rules lifted in Longview, the Longview ISD is overhauling their magnet program to ensure it remains diverse and fair.
On Monday night, the board of trustees unanimously approved the Voluntary Desegregation Plan for magnet schools. The plan is meant to be in accordance with the federal Department of Education regulations.
"By bringing together students of different racial, socioeconomic and family educational backgrounds, as well as making challenging, yet attractive curricular programming available to traditionally under-represented students, LISD seeks to prevent minority group isolation and any loss of the gains it achieved while under the desegregation order," LISD Magnet Grant Director Dr. Craig Coleman said.
The district will expand their magnet program based around four programs:
- STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics)
- International Baccalaureate (IB)
- Early College High School
- Montessori Education
The schools involved in the new plan and their focused programs are:
- Ware East Texas Montessori Academy - Montessori - Elementary
- Ned E. Williams Elementary - STEAM - Elementary
- Forest Park Middle School - STEAM/IB - Junior High
- Longview High School - IB/Early College - High School
The district will also establish a new pre-K and kindergarten Montessori school called East Texas Montessori Prep Academy.
Going forward, the district will begin using a weighted lottery for students to enroll in a magnet program. One factor is the students who had attended a magnet or charter school before enrollment at a new school.
In addition to that, the district will consider factors in a geographic area including income, homeowners, education attainment and single-parent households. The district will use the factors to determine an area's demographics and priority level.
Students who are currently enrolled in a magnet program will not be affected.
