Stars Middle School Gets New Name, New Grades Levels And New Charter

Leon County’s Stars Middle School—a charter, is planning to expand next year. The school is accepting applications for grades K-8. The addition of the elementary grade component comes after the Leon County School Board approved the school’s charter Tuesday.

“We’ve been working hard with our parents, staff and district personnel and finally it’s happening now," says Stars Principal Ahmet Temel. "We’re ready to go, and it’s great because there was a great desire from our parents to expand.”

The school is also getting a new name. It will become the  Tallahassee School of Math and Science.

A Leon county school district official says the last two times Stars applied for an expansion,  its application was incomplete. Last year, the school wanted to move to a new site off Thomasville Road, but the proposed location drew opposition from nearby residents.

The new School of Math and Science school will be located on North Monroe Street. Stars was rated as a "C" school by the state for the 2013 school year but has previously received A's and B's. Under the deal approved by the Leon County School board Tuesday, the new charter will expire in 2020.