Magnet School Primer: As Wake schools preps for virtual fair, get the basics on the application process

It's hard to think about next school year when there's so much uncertainty about this one. But if your kids will be attending a Wake County public school in fall 2021, it's time to start looking at your options.

The application process for magnet, year-round and early college schools in Wake County opened in October. There's no reason to rush. Decisions are not made on a first come, first served basis. The deadline for magnet and year-round schools isn't until Jan. 28. The deadline for early college high school programs is Dec. 14.

But it is time to start exploring your options and making some decisions about where you might apply. And that can start by attending Wake County magnet program's virtual magnet, early college and year-round schools fair from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 7.

"Magnet schools provide programs that allow students to truly discover their interests and really capture their curiosity as they discover what they are good at, and it could be anything from arts to science to computer science to engineering," said Tasha Haynes, a senior administrator of magnet schools recruitment and grants development for Wake County schools.

But how do you even apply for one of these programs? How can you pick the best one for your child, especially this year when school campuses are closed to the usual tours and visitors? And do you even have a shot at getting into a specialized program? I checked in with Haynes to get some details, focusing on magnet programs.

The early college programs for high school students requires more specialized applications, including essays and teacher recommendations. The county's website has more information about that process. You'll also find information about year-round programs too on the system's website.

Wake County Magnet Schools 101

Wake County's magnet program aims to "reduce high concentrations of poverty in schools" by pulling in children from across the county for specialized programs, according to the county's website. Some schools offer a large number of electives. Others offer language immersion, International Baccalaureate or specialized STEM programs.

Before you start looking at the options, you'll need to find out what your options are.

Your first step is to make sure you're enrolled in Wake County public schools. If your child is a rising kindergartner and not enrolled in the Wake County public school system, you will need to enroll online to get a student ID number. Students who are currently attending charter schools, private schools or home schools also will need to enroll online if they plan to attend a Wake County school next year. If you unenrolled in a Wake County school to attend another school this year, you also must enroll online for the coming school year, Haynes tells me.

You can enroll online on Wake County's website now. Haynes said it can take a few days for the student ID number to be processed. It's best to enroll as soon as you can. (In other words, do not leave it to a couple of days before the application period closes in January. You may not have that ID number in time to submit your application.)

Once enrolled, you want to use Wake County's address lookup feature to find out which magnet options are assigned to your address. Now you have a list of magnet schools to explore.

How can I learn about magnet schools when there are no tours?

When I write about magnet school applications each year, I always share that the very best way to learn more about a school and find out if it's a great fit is to take a physical tour of the school. That's not possible this year because of the pandemic, but there are ways to learn more.

• Virtual Magnet, Early College and Year-Round Schools Fair: From 9 a.m. to noon, Nov. 7, the virtual program will feature an opportunity to connect with school staff from each of your options, along with representatives from Wake's magnet office and student assignment. You can register for it online. Haynes calls it a "one-stop shop." Though this year's event is virtual, Haynes said it will operate very much like the usual in-person fair. "Parents can pop in," she said. "They might hear a presentation, some of them will have links to live chats with the principal and maybe other staff members. It might even be a high school student."
• Virtual tours of individual schools: Many schools have already lined up dates for virtual information sessions and tours of their schools where parents and kids can learn more about the program and ask questions. Haynes recommends checking the school website where you'll usually find a link with more information and registration details.
• Virtual parent information sessions and mini fairs: Through January, Wake County is hosting a series of information sessions and mini fairs where parents can get more information about various schools. If you can't make it to the Nov. 7 event, these are great alternatives.
• One-on-one chat with magnet staff: Wake's magnet staff is offering one-on-one chats with families who are unsure of their options or have questions. At last look, there were not a lot of open times, so be sure to sign up for one now if you think it might be helpful.
• Contacting magnet coordinators at individual schools: Each magnet school has a magnet coordinator who has two jobs: to ensure the program is properly implemented and answer questions from prospective families about whether the school is right for them.  In my own experience as a mom of kids in the magnet program, they are a fantastic point of contact for families who, generally, respond to emails quickly and likely will have the answers to many of your questions about magnet programs. Haynes recommends searching a school's website to get the contact information for its magnet coordinator.

"I would encourage parents to take this time to really seize this moment of opportunity virtually," Haynes said. "The schools have worked hard to put together presentations or virtual tours. I think parents are going to be surprised what they can learn about the program just sitting at their computer right now."

There are so many choices, how can I possibly make a decision?

Especially for parents of rising kindergartners, the number of choices can be overwhelming. "The beauty of magnet programs is that all of the programs are teaching the grade level standard. These are public schools," Haynes said. "It's just the delivery of it is going to be different."

In some schools with lots of electives, for example, a child may move from classroom to classroom. For kids who have trouble with transitions, these programs might not be the best option. They may do better in a so-called "embedded program" where classroom teachers receive specialized training and deliver the material inside the classroom.

Wake County has a new online magnet explorer tool where you can search by your child's interests to find options that might work for them best. "It narrows that broad list to just a few," Haynes said.

Will I even get into a magnet school? Should I even apply?

The selection process is complicated and considers a variety of factors, including the socioeconomic status of your neighborhood and your base school. Siblings get priority if they will have a sibling attending the school at the same time. Here's more information about Wake's magnet priorities. It's true that some schools are more popular and may have fewer seats available. But that's not true for all magnet schools.

Parents can rank as many as five magnet schools on their application or can just apply for one or two, Haynes said. If you don't get your first choice, you'll automatically be put in that school's application pool. And that pool is generally pulled from once or twice in the spring as other families opt to go to another school or pull out of the system, Haynes said.

"If you're interested at all in a magnet school," she said, "go for it."

Families will find out in mid-February if they got a seat at a magnet school.