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Next school year, a few thousand students will be moved around at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, as a result of several board decisions to ease overcrowding. WFAE is taking a closer look at what the changes will mean for many that are affected. One recent decision significantly shrinks Myers Park High School's International Baccalaureate program. Close to 400 of 550 students will have to go to another I-B offering at either East Mecklenburg or Harding University High Schools. Throughout the boundary discussions, the board heard from steadfast supporters of the Myers Park IB program. And they'll continue even tonight when new board members are sworn in and take up a call to rescind the decision. In this story, Simone Orendain digs a little deeper into the Myers Park I-B program, which has enjoyed national recognition for years. Last month, Myers Park students and rallied in support of their IB program. What is it about Myers Park's International Baccalaureate program that draws fervent support? And what is it? An International Baccalaureate course of study is academically rigorous, designed to enhance critical and analytical thinking. IB is an accrediting body based in Geneva, Switzerland. It authorizes schools through a years-long process, to carry its programs. The idea is for students to have a uniform education wherever they are in the world. In the US, they take core courses in math, science, English, a foreign language and social studies as well as the arts, with mandatory community service hours- all with an international focus. In CMS, it's a magnet offering that usually works as a school within a school program. At Myers Park, teacher Patricia Berini's IB English lit class will read translations of Russian, Indian, Antiguan and other works. Today the focus is on British literature, Shakespeare's MacBeth. "There's such passion in student leadership. That has to be driven by teacher and leader," says Kimberly Lanphear. Her two daughters are enrolled in Myers Park IB. "It comes from that area, so you know it's encouraging these kids to reach out globally. To reach out and care about families and individuals in Darfur, to want to hear someone who is intelligent, bright and world-renowned speak about issues," she says. Lanphear is also president of the schools IB Parent Advisory Council. The council gives some advice to students on community projects, but turn the reigns over to them. Senior Catherine Hare likes it that way. She says, "We get leadership opportunities but we also get to experience that real world 'You're in charge of this, now go find what you need and we'll help you, but you're going to do it by yourself' and I think that's one of the great things that you learn here, on this campus." Hare is president of the IB student council and a few weeks ago she headed up international day. The event was made up of booths representing about 28 different nationalities on this campus of nearly three-thousand students. Music and food from around the world was on offer. It was completely student-run, with parent volunteers playing a smaller role. Apart from this international flair, Myers Park carries a certain prestige. Nicholas Rose had the choice to either go to his company's New York office or the one in Charlotte. His family chose Charlotte. "One of the schools of course, that we identified was Myers Park from the Newsweek rankings," he explains. For the last five years Myers Park has been ranked in the top 50 high schools in the country. Since 2003, Washington Post Education Correspondent Jay Mathews has put out the Newsweek list. He says, "Myers Park shows up on my most recent list as 44 in country." A few CMS schools are in the top 400, but none are close to the top 50. Mathews looks at both the number of Advanced Placement and IB tests that are taken per graduating senior at each school. At Myers Park, it was five to one last year. Mathews says this is important because even if a student doesn't do well on the tests, the fact that they even took a high level test is an indicator they'll succeed in college. For her part, IB senior Catherine Hare isn't too daunted by the ranking. "The fact that we are regarded as one of the most prominent high schools in America does give the student body a sense of pride. We are in the rankings for a reason and so the feeling is we want to work hard to maintain that status," says Hare. Nic Rose who chose the school mostly because of the ranking will be sending his son to another school next year. The recent school board decision to send Myers Park's non-neighborhood IB kids to one of two other schools means Rose's son will go to East Mecklenburg High. He's glad his son will be able to continue in IB, but he wonders what the experience at the new school will be like.