Shelby County Schools receives 2001 What Parents Want Award

The Shelby County School system has been selected by SchoolMatch for the 2001 What Parents Want Award. SchoolMatch is the nation’s largest school selection consulting firm and for the past ten years has recognized those public school systems which are accountable and are meeting the needs of their students. The Shelby County school system was honored as being in the top 10% of the nation’s 18,000 school systems. This is the seventh consecutive year that the Shelby County School system has received this award.

SchoolMatch is an independent, nationwide service that helps corporate-employee families find schools that match the needs of their children. Approximately 600 companies throughout the country offer this service as an employee benefit. SchoolMatch maintains information on every public school system in the United States.

Compilation of over 81,000 parent questionnaires completed by SchoolMatch clients reveal parents most often look for school systems that are:

1. Competitive in academic test scores and academically solid
2. accredited
3. recognized for excellence by a national foundation or by the U.S. Department of Education
4. competitive teacher salaries
5. above average in instructional expenditures on a national percentile basis
6. above average in expenditures for library/media services on a national percentile basis
7. producing a certain quality of "end product".

Over 100,000 families from across the nation access this service monthly to help them in their decision concerning where to relocate. Shelby County Schools’ performance record continues to be a drawing card for families as well as corporations considering a move to this area.