The number of seats available each year varies as the size of the overall grade level population rises and falls. After the number of available seats are filled, schools usually maintain a waitlist from which they add students if spaces become available. However if a magnet school is your base then you don’t need to apply.įamilies with siblings already at the magnet school have a higher priority as do students who are already in a magnet school, so for example, an elementary school in a magnet program has an easier path to a magnet middle school and then a high school.Ĭharter schools provide admission through a lottery process, also done in the winter for the following academic year. Applications are done during the winter for admissions the following academic year. Magnet schools have a priority based application system, similar to what people might call a weighted lottery. How do you get into magnet schools and charter schools? Some charter schools have specializations like magnet schools do, but some don’t. Many charter schools are much smaller schools which appeal to many parents. Both can be found on the NC School Report Cards. They are governed by their own board of directors, although the charter is granted by the state and the state does exercise oversight over the schools. They still follow the same state standards in education but can design their own curriculum and instructional models. Magnet schools provide the same curriculum as all other public schools, but do so through the lens of their particular focus.Ĭharter schools, on the other hand, are public tuition-free schools but operate under the state and not WCPSS. They are part of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) and still have their own base area, but because of their theme students can apply from outside their base area. Most magnet schools came into being as a way to diversify schools and make a wide range of educational opportunities available to all students, not just those who lived in certain neighborhoods. Magnet schools are schools that are organized around a theme, such as science, technology, fine arts, career and technical education. What is a magnet school and how does it differ from a charter school? Why do they exist? Here are the most common questions I get asked! And while there are certainly magnet schools and charter schools in other parts of the country, NC is sixth in the country for the number of magnet schools if offered. Some have lived here for a while others are new to the area or planning to relocate by the next school year. I work with parents every day who are looking for the best options for their children’s education. On the one hand, it’s great that Wake County offers so many choices for parents on the other hand, it can be overwhelming and confusing. Wake County currently has 191 public schools, 54 magnet schools, and 24 charter schools, in addition to 76 private schools. The Wake County School Landscape Can Be Daunting I reached out to an expert for some guidance, Libby Taylor of, and asked her to write a guest post for us with all the pertinent information! And although her specialty is Wake County, all the school districts in the Triangle offer some combination of magnet, charter, and traditional public school settings. One of the biggest sources of confusion is the difference between magnet schools and charter schools and who’s eligible for what! How do they differ from public schools? Are they a good option for your family? Schools are always a big topic for home buyers, especially those who are relocating to the Raleigh / Durham area.
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