Selma School Superintendent Touts Magnet School for the Arts

From the West Alabama Newsroom–

Selma City Schools has plans to open a magnet school for the arts — in the near future. And people around the Queen City are excited about the news.

Superintendent Dr. Zickeyous Byrd says the plan is to renovate the School of Discovery — and turn it into magnet school focused on the arts.

“We have some extraordinary talents here in Selma City Schools. We have a lot of talents in the area of fine arts,” said Byrd.

Now the prospect of having an arts magnet school in Selma — has the city’s art community buzzing.

“It’s super exciting,” said Becky Youngblood.

Youngblood is the Executive Director of ArtsRevive — a Selma non-profit organization that uses the arts to revitalize the city’s downtown.

“Winford Hawkins, he’s the programming intern, does a lot of educational stuff in the schools. This would be even easier. And actually walking distance to ArtsRevive,” said Youngblood.

“There’s a plethora of artistic talent here in Selma,” said Selma actor Timfreit Drane.

Drane has worked in television — as well as on the silver screen.

“A lot of people know from the movie, Lottery Ticket. Ice Cube and Bow Wow,” he said.

Drane says the proposed school would provide the perfect atmosphere for artistic students to hone their talent.

“And by SOD beginning that process. That’s huge,” he said.

“It allows people to be creative and also express themselves. And it’s just a good outlet,” said Youngblood.

Byrd says it will take about a year to renovate School of Discovery once the project starts.

Byrd says right now the plan is to have the school up and running by the 2024-25 school year.