Merrol Hyde Magnet School


Merrol Hyde Magnet School is a K–12 school in Hendersonville, Tennessee adhering to the Paideia philosophy. It is the only magnet school in Sumner County. Merrol Hyde is ranked first in Tennessee and third in the nation by USNews.

History

MHMS was established in 2003 on the former campus of Knox Doss Middle School, next to Hendersonville Medical Center. The school is named after Merrol N. Hyde, a local resident and Sumner County Commissioner. The school served grades 5–9 in its first school year. The second school year, 2004–05, the school had students in grades K–10 with the addition of a new elementary wing. The 2005–06 school year served grades K–11. The 2006–07 school year brought the first ever graduating class of MHMS. There were 57 college-bound graduates in the class of 2007. In 2013, Vice Principal Betty Hunter was replaced by Jason Bennett. Principal Brad Schreiner was replaced in 2014 by Todd Stinson, and Darren Frank is the new and current principal.

Admittance

In order to be admitted into Merrol Hyde Magnet School, one must meet strict selection criteria. Once an application is submitted, the prospective student is administered a standardized test. In order to gain entry into the school, the student must score in at least the 85th percentile. After this, the student is placed on a waiting list. The acceptance priorities are as follows.
1st: People who have siblings in the school are accepted first.
2nd: The people that got the highest scores will be placed further near the top.
There are waiting lists for most every grade in the school. If at any point during the school year, a student leaves, then the first person on the waiting list will be contacted. If he/she is unavailable to join Merrol Hyde, then it goes to the 2nd person and so on.

Academics

Merrol Hyde's motto is "Mandatus ad virtutem," or "Committed to excellence." The school is dedicated to helping its students grow through the Paideia philosophy, and the results have been undeniable. In the school's first twelve graduating classes, it has had multiple students obtain perfect ACT scores, finalist status in prestigious academic programs such as the National Merit Scholarship Program or the Presidential Scholars Program, and admission to Duke University, Yale University, Princeton University, Vanderbilt University, Emory University, Georgetown University, Tulane University, etc. The school has also produced several nationally ranked BEST Robotics, DECA, quiz bowl, and history bowl teams.

Athletics

sports include track, cross country, golf, tennis, soccer, football, basketball, swimming, volleyball, bowling. The school also offers archery, cheer-leading, dance team, cycling, and a personal fitness club. Each student in grades 7-12 is required to participate in a sport each year.

Dress code

Apart from other Sumner County Schools, Merrol Hyde Magnet School adheres to a strict dress code. Grades K–12 must wear specific style numbers of a very limited selection of garments from Lands' End, French Toast, or Parker School Uniforms. Logo hoodies may only be purchased from the "Hawk Shop." No non-dress code outerwear may be worn in the building during the day. Girls may not wear skirts that end more than 3 inches from the bend in the back of the knee. Other elements of the dress code include a requirement of belts, a ban on shoes without backs, etc.