Making Sense of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Application Process

We at Nashville Moms Blog hear a lot of the questions and concerns of other moms around town. As moms ourselves, we often share those same concerns. One recurring topic that we’ve encountered has been the process for enrolling children in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The process is quirky, feels complicated, and is often confusing. We reached out to MNPS to help us provide you all with answers. Our thanks to communications specialist Joe Bass for giving us some clarity on the subject.

Are you thinking about next school year yet? It may only be October, but now is the time to start planning for the 2015-16 school year.

Where do you want your child to attend school next year? Which school will give your child the best chance to succeed?

There are 154 Metro schools, and dozens of them will be open for application for the 2015-16 school year. The Optional Schools Application opens on November 3, which means the time to find your right fit is now.

We’re here to help walk you through it with these simple steps:

Explore

With so many schools available on the application (and so many different types of schools!), it’s well worth it to sit down and look at all of your options. Consider the academic program, the school schedule, the school location, before and after school needs, extracurricular activities, and more. What does your child like? How does he or she like to learn? No matter what your answer, there are several options available.

Visit Schools

Once you’ve made a short list of possible schools, go out and visit them. See for yourself what’s happening inside. Speak with teachers and principals. Meet other parents. This is a vital step in your choice process. Form your own opinions about a school based on what you’ve seen with your own eyes—not what your neighbor says. After all, you want the best school for your children, not your neighbor’s. If you focus on a school’s opportunities for your individual child, you will find the right fit.

Apply

The Optional Schools Application opens on November 3 online and on paper. You can apply to up to seven schools, so be thorough. The more schools you apply to, the more likely you are to get one of your top choices. The deadline is December 5, but applications are not first come, first served. Every application is treated the same way. The selection process will happen in January.

NEW THIS YEAR: Is your baby headed to high school next year? Wipe away those tears. It’s true they may be all grown up, but that just means the opportunities before them are wide open!

All students entering 9th and 10th grades can choose the high school they want to attend based on their specific interests and the academic programs available at that school. Is your kid a future engineer? Take a look at Glencliff, McGavock, or Stratford. Interested in medicine? Visit Hillwood, Hunters Lane, or Whites Creek. Marketing and business? Hillsboro and Maplewood  are great options for you. Want the challenge of advanced academics? Take your pick: Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and/or Cambridge are available at all zoned high schools.

This is what school choice looks like. You have dozens of options, so spend the next few weeks combing through them and finding just the right fit for your child.

To learn more about the application process and to see a list of open schools, please visit MNPS.org.