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Enrollment for younger siblings is not automatic, but their applications are prioritized since it’s easier on families to keep students together, Cottner said.Īfter the application deadline, the district runs a computerized lottery system that is mostly random but first takes into account a few priorities. In cases of multiple students, families may also indicate if any siblings already attend the school. Those students are evaluated for their understanding of English and Spanish language skills. The district does not require testing to get into magnet schools except for students applying to Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet Elementary for grades after kindergarten. They’re also asked to rank their top three choices for magnet schools, in case their most preferred school fills up. Lottery selection begins March 4.įor each student, families input basic student information. Elementary, middle magnet schools: Application due Feb.Northeast Magnet High School: Application due Jan.For the 2022-23 school year, these are the deadline and lottery selection dates: The district’s online application opens in October. Since seats are limited, admission into Wichita USD 259’s magnet schools is based on an application and lottery system. (Fernando Salazar/The Beacon) More Education News:įebruFebruHow do I apply to a magnet school? Earhart Environmental Magnet Elementary fifth graders Oliver Marlett (left) and Lily Idleman-Johnson, take a look at some native tallgrasses that they are nurturing to become a garden on the school grounds. Additionally, families can learn more about each magnet school at the district’s annual Showcase of Choices and Opportunities on Jan. Milne said Wichita USD 259 is somewhat distinctive in that regard, since other magnet programs across the country leave transportation up to parents.Ĭottner said she encourages families to meet with principals and visit magnet schools they are interested in. Wichita USD 259 buses students to magnet schools if they meet the district’s transportation policy, which is to bus students if they live more than 2.5 miles away from their school. Applying for a magnet school, then, comes down to picking programs that will best prepare them for colleges or careers they hope to pursue. In middle and high school, students are starting to have better ideas of their occupational interests. “So it’s more about exposure at the elementary level to a concept, and that’s what would be different from a neighborhood school.” “Not everyone who is 4 years old knows they’re interested in STEM or the arts,” he said. But students have to be interested in the subject to learn successfully, Milne said. “There’s some amazing things happening in our neighborhood schools as well, so it’s not so much that one is better than the other, but it’s a different lens for learning.”Ĭottner said elementary magnet schools provide students with choices for their educational experiences. “(Magnet schools) offer a different educational opportunity and a different way to learn,” he said. (Fernando Salazar/The Beacon) Why should I consider a magnet school?Ī big misconception is that magnet schools are “better” or “elite” schools compared to neighborhood schools, said Jesse Milne, science and technology specialist for Wichita USD 259’s magnet schools. Kary Pierce, a fifth-grade teacher at Earhart Environmental Magnet Elementary, leads her class in cleaning up an area that they will turn into a native tallgrass garden on the school grounds. Any student in the district can apply for these programs, but the schools are not classified as magnet schools.

#MAGNET HIGHSCHOOL HOW TO#

“But they’re having conversations about how to support the environment, they’re going on camping trips, or they might be working out of the school’s garden.”īesides Wichita Northeast, other high schools in Wichita USD 259 have selective programs, like Wichita East’s International Baccalaureate program and Northwest’s Early College Academy. “(The students) are going to learn what’s going on in the rest of the school system,” she said. She used Earhart Environmental Magnet Elementary as an example. The school district calls those schools traditional magnets.Ī magnet’s specialized instruction, though, does not necessarily replace a school’s core curriculum, said Phyllis Cottner, magnet curriculum and instruction lead for the district. Instead of focusing on a specific subject, other Wichita USD 259 magnet schools set themselves apart from neighborhood schools with dress codes, approaches to classroom management and expectations for family involvement. In Wichita USD 259, those include subjects like performing arts, science, technology, engineering, math, literacy, dual language, leadership and communications. Magnet schools are further divided into areas of focus.

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