Transfer Process & School Tours

The Knox County Board of Education established a regional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) school, the L&N STEM Academy (hereinafter “the STEM Academy”) in 2011. The STEM Academy began as a high-quality, rigorous, stand-alone Knox County magnet school focused on the STEM disciplines and particularly on the use of technology as a learning tool.  

The STEM Academy is not a comprehensive high school and does not offer all educational services to all students. Rather, it endeavors to provide opportunities not otherwise available to Knox County students and students from outside the district as provided for in this policy.

The STEM Academy is a regional school designed to provide students from the East Tennessee region access to courses that will prepare them for work or study following graduation and to offer opportunities not otherwise available to students from small, rural districts due to funding constraints, staff limitations, scheduling constraints, and distance from higher education institutions. As such, the STEM Academy has no defined zone and enrolls both students from within the district as well as a limited number of students from outside the district. 

 

Each class will consist of approximately 170 students.  Therefore, ~170 9th-grade students will receive transfers, and 10th & 11th-grade students will receive transfers to fill our cohorts as needed.

All Knox County high school students, as well as out-of-district students, are eligible to apply, as long as they meet the admission criteria outlined below:

Minimum Qualifications for all rising 9th-grade applicants:

Grade of C or higher in Mathematics in both 7th grade and the first semester of 8th grade

Grade of C or higher in Science in both 7th grade and the first semester of 8th grade

No course failures in middle school (grades 6-8)

Preference will be given to students enrolled in Honors Math and Science courses in 8th grade

Additional Screening Requirement:

Students who are not previously enrolled in a Tennessee public middle or high school and wish to apply to the L&N STEM Academy must complete an academic aptitude assessment administered by the school.  This assessment is designed to gauge academic readiness and aptitude in mathematics, science, and critical reasoning to ensure preparedness for the rigor of the L&N STEM curriculum. Assessment results will be used solely as part of the admissions readiness review and will not, by themselves, disqualify a student from consideration.

Admission Categories

1) KCS Zoned Lottery Students:

• Students who meet the minimum qualifications and reside in Knox County will be entered into a lottery system.
• Students enrolled in Honors Math and Science will receive priority placement at the top of the lottery pool by zone.

2) Regional Students:

• Students residing outside of Knox County may apply as regional students under the guidelines outlined in Board Policy J-154.
• Minimum qualifications for Regional students are identical to those of in-county applicants, and the family must provide documentation.
• Regional students enrolled in 8th-grade Honors Math and Science will be prioritized.

3) Unfilled Regional Seats:

• Any unfilled regional seats will be made available to qualifying Knox County students.
• Selection will be based on seat availability and program capacity as determined by the Executive Principal

4) GPA-Based Priority Admittance:

• 20 applicants will be offered admission based on the highest GPA point score from core academic areas

5) GPA Point Calculation:

• Core subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Studies
• Standard courses: A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0
• High school credit courses: A=5; B=4; C=4; D=2; F=0

6) Children of L&N STEM Academy and Other KCS Employees:

• Children of part-time or full-time employees at L&N STEM or other KCS employees will receive preference in the lottery if they meet all minimum qualifications

7) Transfer Students (Entering 10th-12th grades)

• Seat availability within the grade and course sections
• Interview with L&N STEM Administration
• Final decisions rest with the Executive Principal

Students Served Under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) T.C.A 49-6-3104

The L&N STEM Academy does not discriminate in its admissions process on the basis of disability and fully complies with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). All students who meet the minimum academic admission criteria, including those with disabilities, are eligible for consideration. Following the initial approval of applicants based on academic and procedural qualifications, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) for each applicant receiving special education services will be reviewed. This review will be conducted collaboratively by the Knox County Schools' Special Education Department and L&N STEM Academy administrators to:

• Determine if the school's programming and supports can implement the IEP in accordance with IDEA
• Ensure the student can meaningfully access and participate in the academic and extracurricular programs offered at the school
• Coordinate any required services, accommodations, or program adjustments in compliance with federal and state law
   

If the number of qualifying students who apply for the L&N STEM Academy exceeds the number of available seats, a geographic lottery will be used to determine which students receive a transfer.  Students living in Knox County will be allocated to the L&N STEM Academy based on their zoned KCS high school. Each zoned high school will receive an allotted number of seats in the L&N rising 9th-grade class, based on the number of students it has, as compared to the rest of the district.  This lottery is completed by a computer program that randomly assigns students a lottery number.  There are no additional weights for gender, race, or socio-economic background.

For example, if High School X has 10% of all rising 9th-grade students throughout the county, then 10% of the students accepted to the L&N STEM Academy would be zoned for High School X. In this example, 16 9th-grade students (10% of 160 9th-graders) who are zoned to attend High School X would receive a transfer.

If a particular zoned school does not fill its allotted seats, then the extra seats are placed into a second-round lottery for qualifying students who did not receive a seat during the initial lottery period.

 

If you are applying for a transfer from a surrounding county, you must provide your own transportation to and from L&N STEM Academy.

What if I am transferring from a private school, a homeschool, or coming to STEM from out of state?  Anything I should know?

If you are coming to L&N STEM from a private school, a homeschool, or out-of-state, and you have a Knox County home address, you will fall into the lottery system within your zoned high school's allotment.  If you live outside of Knox County, you will fall into the lottery system within your home county's allotment.

If you are granted a transfer to STEM, here are some things to know about transferring high school credit(s) to your L&N STEM transcript: 

From an Out-of-State Non-Public School: 

1. Contact the school or check their website to confirm accreditation. 

2. If accredited, all credits on the transcript will be accepted. 

3. If it is not an accredited program, grades and credits will be awarded consistent with KCS Homeschool procedures. (See below) 

From a Category IV or V Home School: 

Please carefully review Board Policy: BOE #J-130, Reviewed 11/21 

Home school students entering public schools are treated as students entering from other non-approved schools and are subject to State Board of Education Rule No. 0520-1-3-03(11).

Transferring Credit from Category IV and V Home Schools : 

(You can check the non-public home school list and the approved Category III online school list)  

Students entering from Category 4 and 5 schools, as designated by the Tennessee Department of Education, will be tested for credit. Students may be tested by taking and passing the final exam for each core course  (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Wellness) listed on a transcript from a Category 4 or 5 non-public school. Upon passing the exam, credit may be awarded. If a student demonstrates mastery on the exam, then the student’s grade from his/her transcript will be entered on his/her  Knox County Schools’ transcript.

Home school students whose transcripts state they have earned a credit in a World Language shall be administered the Knox County EOC/mastery test for the highest level of language for which they are requesting credit. (Ex. A student who has earned a credit in French I and II will be given the French II EOC). KCS has the authority to award credit for high school courses completed at non-public middle schools based on demonstrated mastery of the subject matter, e.g., successful completion of mastery test or written exam or performance in subsequent courses.

High School Credit Earned in Middle School: 

Students in a KCS middle school who successfully complete a course that includes the EOC/mastery test in a class taught using the high school curriculum standards will earn high school credit. The grade earned will be posted on the high school transcript and calculated in the high school GPA. 

For students who attended a middle school whose academic record/transcript indicates a high school course  was taken in middle school, the determination to post high school credit will be as follows:  

Knox County Schools will honor the sending school district’s policy, provided it is an accredited school. KCS will not award credit if the sending school/district’s policy was not to award credit. If no transcript exists, our school will contact the former middle school and request documentation of the completed high school course and the grade earned. Our school will also seek clarification about the sending school/district’s high school posting procedures (e.g., are grades posted on the high school transcript? If posted, are they calculated in the high school grade point average?).  

If the determination is made that a student did not receive high school credit, a parent may request that the student be tested to receive a Pass/Fail credit. 

If you have accepted a transfer to L&N STEM and either need to test for your credits or have questions about your transcript, please contact our registrar, Shelley Rogers.

email mrs. rogers

 

How do I Apply?

You must be a rising or current high school student to apply to the L&N STEM Academy. You can apply online HERE during the Knox County School open transfer window, which typically opens in October and closes in February of the school year prior to expected enrollment.

When will I find out if I have received a transfer to STEM?

Official notification of the status of a transfer request will be made in hard copy format through the U.S. Mail. This notification will come from the KCS Transfer Office.  L&N STEM staff will have no information regarding the status of your transfer request before notifications are sent out to families.  Official notification will be made no later than six weeks after the transfer window closes.

QUESTIONS?

Email Dr. Shannon Siebe, 9th/10th Grade Principal

EMAIL DR. SIEBE

 

The transfer application window opened on 

Wednesday, October 1, 2025, and is NOW CLOSED

 

Beginning Fall 2026, the L&N STEM Academy will be hosting multiple school tours for students considering a transfer to the L&N STEM Academy for the 2027-28 school year.  Due to space constraints, we must limit each tour to 15 families. We kindly request that families limit the number of adults attending, if possible.

Our school tours are led by Gryphon Guides, who are student leaders in our building. Visitors will view both buildings, learn a little about our school's history and the historic L&N Station, visit active classrooms, and interact with current students. 

If your desired date does not yet show an active link through which to sign up, please continue to check back, and those links will appear as they become available.

Please contact Stephen Blythe (Student Dean) with questions.

EMAIL MR. BLYTHE

School tours are now closed for prospective students hoping to attend L&N STEM in 2026-27.

We do not permit student shadow experiences at our school.