MEMPHIS, Tenn. — “I’ve been here since Saturday at 2:30,” Darius Wallace said.
Some might have called Wallace a latecomer compared to other parents in line at the Shelby County Schools Administration Building.
“I’ve been out here since Wednesday morning,” Seth Agranov said.
Parents held their spots in line to get their kids into one of the 47 optional schools in Shelby County.
“I’m number 34 in line, number one in your heart,” Agranov joked.
Wallace was number 140.
“People here are fighting for the same thing. To get, you know, a good education for their children,” Wallace explained.
The school district will begin handing out applications at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning.
Bar Code numbers will help parents keep their positions during the review process this year.
“It’s important to me, it’s important to my wife, it’s important to my children that they get the best education that’s available,” Agranov said.
Some parents said quality and exceptional education should be more accessible to all children.
“There’s been a lot of talk about better schools,” Carrie Harris said. “I mean just doing different schools like STEAM around the city, so all of the kids have a chance.”
Despite the cold and soggy ground, parents like Wallace said it is important for their children to have a better chance at education.
“We don’t have to allow for our environment to set up a limitation that we can not overcome. We have made a choice to get our child out of the environment we live in to get the education,” Wallace said.
Applications must be turned in by Friday at 5:00 p.m.
