Upcoming HISD Events Showcases Magnet Program Options

Magnet programs – specialized academic offerings open to any student living in the district – are one of HISD’s notable strengths. More than 40% of HISD schools have schoolwide or school-within-a-school magnet programs. Some magnets focus on STEM; some on the arts; some on world languages; some on specific career trajectories. Still others are dedicated to specialized curricula like Montessori and IB, and a handful are Vanguard magnets which provide accelerated instruction to Gifted/ Talented students.

The magnet application process officially begins on November 1, when the application period opens. Parents can submit applications to as many as 10 schools; when the application period closes, spots at each school will be filled by a lottery process. At many HISD magnets, the applicant pool considerably exceeds the number of spaces, so it is wise to apply to as many programs as possible to increase the odds of being accepted to one.

For a month before the application opens, and periodically during the application period, HISD will host Parent Information Nights to showcase middle school and high school magnet programs and give parents a sense of their options. The first such event occurred on October 2, but there will be many more throughout the fall semester – as detailed in the table below. HISD will also host a general Magnet Open House, showcasing all magnet programs, at Northside Mall on November 1.

Of course, if you don’t want to wait for the next Parent Information Night, you can always get a head start looking at magnet programs online. Our sister publication, the Houston School Survey, profiles a number of HISD’s top magnet schools and provides detailed advice on the magnet application process.

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Source: HISD News Blog.