Nixa Public Schools to open magnet school

At its Dec. 8 meeting, the Nixa Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve a proposed magnet school.

The district's John Thomas School of Discovery is scheduled to open in August, according to a news release.

Josh Chastain, the current principal of Summit Intermediate, has been named principal of the magnet school. Alysia Ackerman, assistant principal of Century Elementary, will succeed Chastain at Summit.

“Realizing that the educational process must be receptive to change, we decided to shift the inertia of tradition somewhat and offer parents a choice to send their children to our newly developed magnet school," said Stephen Kleinsmith, Nixa Public Schools superintendent, in the release.

The school, which will house 420 kindergarten through sixth grade students at John Thomas Elementary School, 312 N. Market St., focuses on what the school system has dubbed STEAM - science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

"As we strive to help our students prepare for a successful future, we hope to spark their interest in these fields of study," said Debby Lawson, assistant superintendent of elementary education, in the release.

Student selection will be made through an enrollment request process and a calculated lottery, which will ensure that a percentage of the current enrollment is made up of students from all of the Nixa elementary schools. The lottery process will be conducted through a third party, according to the release.

According to the release, the magnet school decision was made following more than 40 public meetings.[[In-content Ad]]