Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust, or MOST, was founded in 1998, to help give all families in Memphis and Shelby County the opportunity to make the most of the educational opportunities available to them, allowing parents to choose the right school for their child. MOST was founded on four basic principles: 1) parents are best qualified to make educational choices for their children; 2) low-income parents desrve the same opportunity as wealthier parents to select their children's schools; 3) the early years of a child's education are the most important for ensuring success in school and beyond; and 4) many of the poorest performing schools are in the poorest neighborhoods. To fulfill its mission, MOST offers partial scholarships to help low-income families (those families who would qualify for the free- or reduced-lunch program at public schools) send their children to private and parochial schools in the greater Memphis area. Each year, there are approximately 600 Scholars and, through the 2010-2011 school year, MOST has assisted 2600 students at a cost of $11 million. MOST is committed to helping parents find the school that will allow each child to reach his or her potential as a scholar, athlete, artist, citizen and community servant. With that in mind, MOST is upgrading its website to become a resource of information about Memphis area private, parochial and charter schools (2011), with the goal of including public shool information, as well.
Specialties
scholarships, school choice, Memphis elementary and secondary schools
