A Kentucky school district has approved the creation of an all-male middle school targeted toward serving black and Latino students.
Local outlets report the Jefferson County Board of Education voted 6-1 in favor of the alternative program set to open for the 2018-2019 school year. District officials have advocated for the program as a way to address the overrepresentation of boys of color in discipline referrals and low achievement results.
The school, which plans to enroll 150 sixth graders for its first class, will use multicultural and Afrocentric lenses and creative teaching methods.
The JCPS proposal has not identified academy leaders, a location, a method for student and staff selection, or a name, but incoming acting superintendent Marty Pollio has pledged to take responsibility for the program's implementation.
