Magnet Questions
1. Are there any plans for Swift Creek, Yates Mill or Dillard to be converted to magnet or year round?
There are no plans to convert these schools to magnet or year round at this time.
2. If you decline an assignment to a year round or magnet school, can you apply again later?
Yes
3. A decision to apply to a magnet school may be impacted by your child's new school assignment. The magnet school application window is already closed by the time the final assignment plan is published. Can something be done about changing the magnet school application timetable?
The magnet application timeline is as late as it can be and still provide enough time for selections and notifications to be made on a timely basis. It is our hope that families apply for magnet seats because they want that program rather than to avoid a reassignment
4. What do you use to determine the magnet to base ratio for a school? How do we get that information for WCPSS?
Building capacity, location, program and other factors determine the percentages of base and magnet students at a school.
5. We had one child accepted in the magnet program and the other was rejected. This created a transportation problem. How can this be prevented?
Elementary students and middle school students are chosen in isolation to each other. It is certainly possible to have one chosen at one level and not have the other one chosen. A contact to our office and/or a request for transfer could help resolve this situation. The availability of seats at the requested schools would also be a factor. If the students were in the same grade configuration and one was accepted, the other should have been accepted. If that were to happen the parent(s) should call the Office of Growth Management to resolve the problem.
6. Why/how are based students rationed with magnet students?
Building capacity, location, program and other factors determine the percentages of base and magnet students at a school.
7. Why aren't more traditional high schools built to accept the feeder base students and permit more magnet students to attend magnet high schools?
As a practice, students attending a magnet middle school have priority to attend a magnet high school. All program magnet schools have a base population consisting of students who live in the immediate area. We think this is a good way to balance schools to keep all schools healthy.
8. With twins, what is the likelihood of them both being assigned to the same year round or magnet school and being retained at the same school year to year?
With twin siblings, or siblings in the same grade, as long as they registered as living at the same address they will be assigned to the same school regardless of magnet or year-round status.
9. Why are certain nodes not given the opportunity to apply to neighboring magnet programs - our base magnet is not in walking distance and are unable to apply to a school less than 1/4 mile from our neighborhood?
Any parent, in any node, may apply for his/her child to attend any magnet program. Priority is given to students who live in the transportation pattern for that school.
10. Many residents of southeast Raleigh are grateful to have a high performing "college prep" school in the community. However they are dismayed that they are unable to attend, to make room for communities that already have access to high performers. What can be done to address this?
The decision to make SERHS a magnet school was to assure that the population would be balanced and that the school would have a unique, challenging program. To stay balanced, it is necessary to continue this magnet draw.
11. How does the county plan to maintain enrollment in the magnet schools as more brand new schools outside the beltline are opened? It seems that the magnets will become less of a draw to families who have new schools to attend near their home.
The major attractor for magnet schools has been program and not facility. We continuously upgrade and improve the offerings at our program magnet schools to help their ability to attract students and we will continue to offer things at magnet schools that are not available at traditional schools.