The school where the shooting happened provides academic and arts classes to more than 640 students in East Knoxville, according to information from the school’s website.
“Austin-East Magnet High School is committed to providing an outstanding education for more than 640 students in East Knoxville,” the school said on its website.
The school is a Title 1 school, which is a federal program that provides financial assistance “schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families,” according to the US education department.
“We are a Title I magnet high school with a performing arts focus that offers resources including visual arts, CTE and rigorous academic courses,” Austin-East says on its website. “We also offer a variety of extracurricular activities ranging from sports to robotics.”
The spring semester for Knox County Schools, Austin-East Magnet High School’s district, began on Jan. 5. According to county policies, students could choose between in-person or virtual learning because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Students can utilize in-person, on-campus instruction with additional safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, or they can utilize our virtual learning program,” the district said on its website.
