Meigs School (or currently Meigs Academic Magnet Middle Prep) is a public magnet school located in Nashville, Tennessee. History The school is named in honor of James L. Meigs, Nashville's second superintendent of public schools. In a report by Superintendent Caldwell in 1880-81 he shared that "at least 150 Black students had been refused permission to enter a school because there was no room for them. In 1881, the Nashville Board of Education appropriated funds for two new public schools for Black Students: Pearl and Meigs Schools, both built in the same two-story brick plan". From 1891–1892, Kizziah J. Bills a Black suffragist, worked at Meigs School. Meigs School could accommodate 600 students when it opened as a grammar school in the fall of 1883 on Georgia Street. Robert S. White, a Black man with three years teaching experience, served as Meigs' first principal. Enrollment at Meigs in 1883-84 totaled 397 primary and intermediate pupils. Four teachers assisted the principal. By 1884, Many African Americans were elected to reconstruction legislatures in the south, and "must be credited with making public education available to both poor whites and blacks". Even with Meigs (still a grammar school), students had no place to obtain an education beyond eighth grade. Because of this J.C. Napier (a Black lawyer), brought a resolution to the City Council on September 25, 1884 to obtain a high school by the 1886 school term; however, by the fall of 1886, no high school was established. Not having a high school for the Black children became an issue when "Mrs. Sandy Porter in an effort to further the education of her son James Rice Porter who had finished 8th grade and was ready for high school. When the 1886 school term started, she sent her son to the Fogg High School. His arrival there started quite a sensation and he was instructed to return home, as the school was not for him". His mother sent him back for the next few days, and he was refused. Other black students were encouraged by Porter's efforts to try the same and were also refused. On the consequence of their refusal, a meeting was held September 14, 1886 drawing attention to the scholars who had been excluded. A resolution was created and read: <p>"At the present session of the City public schools, many colored youths who applied for admission to the 9th grade