These 2 Raleigh magnet schools have been named the best in the nation
Two Raleigh schools have been nationally recognized as the top two magnet schools in America.
Athens Drive High School won the Ronald P. Simpson Distinguished Merit Award that Magnet Schools of America gives to the nation’s top magnet school. Conn Elementary School won the trade organization’s Donald Waldrip Magnet School of Excellence Award that goes to the second-best magnet school in the nation.
The awards were announced Saturday at the group’s national conference in New York City. On Monday, Athens Drive celebrated by having the marching band and cheerleaders perform for students as they exited the school.
“It really shows how good our program really is and how much we’re learning and our hard work everyday,” Susan McGraw, 17, an Athens Drive junior and member of Student Council, said in an interview.
Athens Drive and Conn are among the network of magnet schools operated by the Wake County school system to fill under-enrolled schools, diversify school populations and provide school choice. Magnet schools include some students who live around the campus as well as students who apply from other parts of the county to get access to the special programs.
Wake has won numerous magnet school awards over the years. Last year, Washington Elementary in Raleigh was named the top magnet elementary school in the nation.
Preparing students for careers in medicine
Athens Drive High is in West Raleigh near Lake Johnson.
The school offers the Center for Medical Sciences & Global Health Initiatives theme. The program helps prepare students for careers in medicine. Students choose from three pathways: medical sciences, emergency medicine and animal sciences.
“What Athens Drive does is foster that environment of challenge and that environment of critical and higher thinking that I don’t think, me personally, you could get anywhere else,” Kennedy Truitt, 17, an Athens Drive senior, said in an interview.
The school board voted in 2015 to make Athens Drive a magnet school to try to attract more families to attend.
“This award reflects our deep commitment to educating future leaders in medicine and global health, and helping all students see how what they are learning in the classroom can be applied to the real world,” Amanda Boshoff, Athens Drive’s principal, said in a news release. “I’m also excited for the opportunity to let more people know about the truly amazing things happening at Athens Drive every day, where we will continue to prioritize diversity, academic excellence, and curriculum innovation. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as we build on this success.”
Preparing students to be entrepreneurs
Conn Elementary has been a magnet school since 1982. It’s on Brookside Drive in East Raleigh.
Conn offers the Entrepreneurial Design magnet theme. This involves teaching students how to use a problem-solving approach when approaching a task or undertaking, according to Conn’s website.
The students are called “CONNtreprenurs.” The “little thinkers” are encouraged to think creatively and develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.
“This award reflects our high expectations and the remarkable efforts of our students, who are preparing to be the innovative leaders of tomorrow,” Gabriel Chidester, Conn’s principal, said in a news release. “It showcases the dynamic, forward-thinking environment that propels both our school and our students toward greatness. And it is yet another reminder of the value of magnet schools, where students learn to value diversity while receiving a unique and stimulating education.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2024 at 9:51 AM.
