Shelby County Schools announced several months ago East High would be transformed into a T-STEM optional school, which stands for transportation, science, technology, engineering, and math.
Parents say students who don’t qualify for the T-STEM program will be bused to other schools, but they’re still confused on how it will work. They are holding a meeting Friday in Binghampton.
We met with a retired SCS teacher whose son planned to attend East High this year, but now she doesn’t know where he will go.
“School starts Monday and my son still doesn’t have a school presently,” says Jacquelyn Webb.
East High School, one of the most historic schools in Memphis, will soon be transformed into an optional high school unlike any other in the bluff city.
East will offer the T-STEM program which stands for Transportation, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
Students in the tenth through twelfth grades already enrolled at East can stay put. Incoming ninth graders must qualify for T-STEM to attend East. Remaining students have been reassigned to Melrose and Douglas, low performing IZONE schools.
Last spring, East made the list of the state’s lowest performing schools, so District leaders expect the T-STEM program will help keep it open.
Some Binghamton parents, like Webb, say they’re upset that their kids won’t get to go to East. SCS leaders have held multiple meetings and met with parents over the past few months to discuss their options.
Webb says parents are still confused about what those options are. “Even though they had meetings, you have to understand that all parents are not gonna come to these meetings and they’re gonna find out at the last minute that their children won’t be able to attend the school that’s in their district,” says Webb. “Some of us are still in limbo and really don’t know what to do.”
Friday’s community meeting is being held at Lester Center on Tillman in Binghampton.
